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.
January 1, 2025
Let me start by saying that I was delighted to attend the Kennedy Center Honors on December 8, and it was truly an amazing event, especially to see our members front and center, along with our SAG-AFTRA siblings. As we begin 2025, our negotiations with the television networks for a successor to the Television Videotape […]
January 1, 2025
Just the facts, ma’am Just as there is a season for the cold, dry Arctic air to sweep across the Canadian tundra, so is there a season for a Secretary-Treasurer to dust the reader’s eyes with cold, dry financial information. As a rank-and-file member, I often found this kind of information to be singularly uninteresting, […]
January 1, 2025
As we begin the new year, we are reminded that music has always been both a reflection of our times and a force that shapes them. From symphonies that capture the human spirit to the driving beats of modern pop, music is a timeless language that connects us all. Yet, as we move forward into […]
January 1, 2025
An entry from the diary of Anne Halkett on January 2, 1671, a writer and member of the Scottish gentry, entitled “Resolutions,” referenced this pledge: “I will not offend anymore.” This would indicate that the practice of making New Year’s resolutions dates back at least a few hundred years. We have all experienced beginning a […]
December 1, 2024
Together with a robust delegation from the AFM, I attended the Fifth International Orchestra Conference (IOC) of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM), October 23-26, in Malmö, Sweden. In addition to myself, the delegation included Vice President from Canada Allistair Elliott, AFM Director of Symphonic Services and Special Counsel Rochelle Skolnick, International Conference of Symphony […]
December 1, 2024
The one thing I appreciate about the outcome of the US elections this year is that the results are unambiguous. This provides a heightened clarity of purpose for the next two years, if not the next four, for anyone who makes a living in the arts or who works in the labor movement. Funding for […]
December 1, 2024
As we come to the end of another calendar year, I look back on the whirlwind of the last seven months since I took office. Negotiations continue on several fronts, both in New York City with Live TV negotiations, and in Toronto with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), TV Ontario (TVO) (now complete), and […]
December 1, 2024
The indisputable rise of right-wing leaders in the US government culminated in an unequivocal victory for the Republican Party on November 5. Unfortunately, there is every reason to believe that a similar movement will bring the right-wing Conservative Party of Canada to power within a year. What are the challenges trade unions face in the […]
November 1, 2024
One of the many satisfying elements of my position in our union is the opportunity to meet every year with the officers of the various regional local conferences and officers and delegates of the player conferences. We just concluded another conference season. I want to bring attention to our conferences because they are important to […]
November 1, 2024
As of this writing, the US presidential elections have not yet been held, although I suspect that as this paper hits the membership’s mailboxes, the votes will have been counted, the networks will have announced a winner, and the promised lawsuits challenging the outcome will have been filed. Can American musicians look forward to a […]