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.
June 13, 2016
With 50 Academy Award nominations to his credit and nearly six decades’ worth of iconic film and television themes, composer John Williams of Locals 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and 9-535 (Boston, MA) has many achievements. On June 9, a gala celebrated Williams as the latest recipient of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award—the first composer to ever receive the award.
Read MoreJune 10, 2016
According to the US Department of Labor, Allstars Staffing LLC of Tempe Arizona, will have to pay more than $151,000 for misclassifying staff that it provided to resorts and hotels as independent contractors rather than employees
Read MoreJune 10, 2016
Corporate lobbyists are busy trying to persuade Republican Senators to try to do away with the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, which requires all companies seeking publicly funded contracts to report any record of violating workers’ rights on the job.
Read MoreJune 10, 2016
At the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival in Denton, Texas, Mayor Chris Watts read a proclamation designating April 29, 2016 as Jay Saunders Day in Denton
Read MoreJune 8, 2016
Neil Balm of Local 802 (New York City) is co-principal trumpet of the New York City Ballet and principal trumpet for the New York Pops and Mostly Mozart Festival.
Read MoreJune 7, 2016
On June 1-2 airport workers from around the world held the first-ever global day of action to draw attention to the airline industry’s continued push to drive down wages and working standards, while raking in record profits of $36 billion in 2016.
Read MoreJune 7, 2016
On June 1, Cornell Graduate Students United (CGSU) announced it had signed an agreement with Cornell administration setting out a clear path for a campus-wide union campaign and election for about 2,300 graduate student employees.
Read MoreJune 7, 2016
In early June, after a nearly six-year battle, 38 union workers illegally fired during a strike found out they should be rehired and reimbursed for lost wages.
Read MoreJune 7, 2016
This month’s Federal Arts Connection focuses on agency websites with leads for employment opportunities in the federal government.
Read MoreJune 3, 2016
Musicians who use sheet music reading applications are still considered to be pioneers of a new technological trend by some, pure geeks by others, and the majority of them are still using the traditional paper-based approach. That is, until now.
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