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.
August 10, 2016
The strike of journalists, photographers, and editors at the Halifax Chronicle Herald, Canada’s oldest independent newspaper, has passed the 100-day mark with no end in sight.
August 10, 2016
Following the introduction of the Canadian federal government’s introduction of its new Phoenix payroll system in February, some federal workers have faced serious financial difficulties. The unions say temporary, term, casual and student contractors have been most affected, and in some cases, gone months without pay.
August 10, 2016
Trump Taj Mahal, the beleaguered Atlantic City, New Jersey, hotel-casino once owned by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, will close for good after Labor Day weekend.
August 10, 2016
Pilots, mechanics, ramp workers, and flight attendants picketed Southwest Airline’s Dallas Love Field home base, calling for the replacement of CEO Gary Kelly and COO Mike Van de Ven, following July’s system-wide technical outage that disrupted thousands of flights and left flight attendants stranded at airports. Workers’ unions are critical of current management for not adequately investing in the company’s operations and putting the needs of shareholders ahead of employees during a time of record profitability.
August 9, 2016
Oregon and Washington unions are under attack by the Freedom Foundation, a business-funded organization targeting government employee unions.
August 9, 2016
Women make up more than half of the US electorate and vote at higher rates than men. From now until November, the AFL-CIO will be talking to women voters about the issues that impact them the most to ensure that women remain at the forefront of the conversation.
August 5, 2016
The president of American Airlines’ pilots union says he’s alarmed by a new management initiative to speed up some flight plans, stating in a letter to union members that it could “compromise the margin of safety.” Some of the union’s pilots report flight plan manipulation to keep crews under Federal Aviation Administration caps that restrict time spent on duty, a practice called “pilot pushing.”
August 5, 2016
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), workers misclassified as independent contractors can now be found in nearly every industry, and the phenomenon has grown considerably with the rise of the gig economy.
July 14, 2016
More drivers for America’s largest organic and natural food supplier United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) have voted to join the Teamsters
July 13, 2016
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced in a memo to all 157,000 employees in company-operated stores will receive a wage hike as of October 3.