Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
March 1, 2018
For the past 20 years, the Sphinx Organization has played a quintessential role in moving the US, and in some instances the global cultural community, toward a more enlightened future that exudes cultural inclusion.
Read MoreDecember 1, 2017
The Republican-led Congress and administration have now embarked on a debate over another feature piece of legislation promised during the 2016 campaign: tax reform.
Read MoreNovember 10, 2017
This article focuses on health care issues currently being considered by Congress and the Trump Administration.
Read MoreSeptember 1, 2017
The following timeline provides a sense of Senate action, along with a glimpse at the procedural difficulty encountered after the seven-year attempt to totally eliminate the ACA.
Read MoreAugust 9, 2017
Once the process began in earnest, principal concerns came from Republicans who believed that the new health care bill should include provisions 1) to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, 2) for those with employer-based health insurance, and 3) for cuts to Planned Parenthood.
Read MoreJuly 18, 2017
Republicans are looking to complete the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare. The new legislation, which passed the House May 4 by a vote of 217 to 213 (with 20 Republicans and all Democrats voting against it), is now under consideration in the Senate.
Read MoreMay 10, 2017
In March, the AFM joined with more than 700 members of the labor and nonprofit communities to participate in the largest advocacy meeting of the year. Sponsored by Americans for the Arts, Arts Advocacy Day has become a national benchmark for the arts community.
Read MoreApril 21, 2017
If ever there was a time for workers, including musicians, to get engaged in the movement to protect jobs and benefits that promote healthy, secure workplaces and families, now is the time.
Read MoreApril 5, 2017
During Arts Advocacy Day 2017, in Washington, DC, more than 600 delegates from across the US converged on Capitol Hill to lobby on behalf of the NEA, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and a host of other federal agencies that serve as the foundation of America’s cultural heritage.
Read MoreMarch 1, 2017
Talks with the Secretary of Transportation, led by AFM International President Ray Hair, helped develop and implement new carry-on rules that brought consistency to major and regional US air carriers, along with new tips for traveling musicians
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