AFM Legislative Office Promotes Laws that Benefit Working Musicians

September 1, 2024

Tino Gagliardi  -  AFM International President

As election day approaches, I would like to take a moment to recognize the importance of politics to our union, and the work of our own National Legislative Office. From this Washington, DC base, the AFM is able to build relationships with political allies and lobby for issues that are important to musicians and other union workers.

After dedicating nearly three decades to spearheading AFM’s legislative engagement, Alfonso Pollard has made the decision to retire. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Pollard for his unwavering commitment and tireless efforts in advocating for the best interests of our members. His leadership, dedication, and hard work have made a lasting impact, and his presence will be truly missed. You can read more about his career on page 9.

I am pleased to announce we have named Ben Kessler as our new legislative and political director. Kessler is an intellectual property lawyer with 10 years of federal government advocacy experience and a passion for live music. He most recently served as director of federal affairs for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

During Kessler’s tenure at NEA, he oversaw the organization’s largest annual appropriation increase, from $167.5 million to $207 million. He also served as the point of contact for the AFL-CIO Department of Professional Employees arts union affiliates and was instrumental in publishing the NEA and National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) Prevailing Wage Fact Sheet.

After graduating from Amherst College in 2007, Kessler worked in the office of oversight and investigations in the United States Senate Committee on Aging. Following his time on the Hill, Ben joined Heather Podesta + Partners (now Invariant Government Relations). There, Kessler helped organize strategic outreach to the executive and legislative branches of government on behalf of a broad range of clients.  

With an eye toward combining his love for music and the arts with his expertise in advocacy, Kessler enrolled at the American University Washington College of Law, where he focused on intellectual property law. While in school, he fortified his passion for protecting creators, spending his summers working for the Future of Music Coalition and Copyright Alliance.  

Our Current Priorities

As he begins his work for the AFM, Kessler will be instrumental in lobbying for some of our core priorities: musicians rights, artificial intelligence (AI) protections, tax parity, the American Music Fairness Act, health care, NEA funding, and protecting our right to organize.

• NO FAKES Act of 2024—The Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act would protect musicians from AI-generated deepfakes and voice/image clones. Nonconsensual AI can ruin careers and traumatize victims. We need Congress to act to create clear laws that empower individuals to control their faces and voices while continuing to encourage innovation. Visit www.humanartistry-
  campaign.com for more.
• American Music Fairness Act—It’s long past time for musicians to get their fair share when their music is played on AM/FM radio. The radio industry uses the music of hard-working performers to attract listeners to their stations, but the artists do not receive any performance royalties.
• NEA and NEH Funding—NEA and NEH funds support the jobs of millions of workers, including musicians and other creative professionals. These funds uplift economies across the country. We need to ensure this funding increases annually and is never cut.
• Tax Parity—When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed, it eliminated the ability of entertainment workers to deduct necessary work expenses. We need to fix this injustice by raising the threshold for Qualified Performing Artists (QPA) to $100,000 for single tax filers and $200,000 for joint filers.

Remember, you can help as well. Tell others about these issues and message or call your representatives. Also, as November approaches, don’t forget to check your voter registration and vote early, if possible, to make sure your voice is heard.

In Remembrance

I would like to take a moment to recognize my friend and colleague David J. Jandrisch, who passed away last month. Jandrisch leaves a long legacy of dedication to the AFM and CFM and served as both a longtime president of Local 190 and vice president from Canada. I first met him when I was new to the AFM Executive Committee. He always had time to speak with me. He was a brilliant and dedicated officer and warm and friendly person. He will be greatly missed by many.

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