Officer Columns, Secretary-Treasurer

White House Covid-19 Task Force

August 1, 2021

This July, it became increasingly clear that the Biden Administration’s goal of having 70% of the US population fully vaccinated by July 4th was not going to be achieved. While vaccines have been available, vaccine hesitancy has slowed the rate of getting shots into arms. As of July 14, 56% of the US population had […]

Unions – Not a Spectator Sport

August 1, 2021

The AFM in Canada has members from many different backgrounds, resulting in similar diversity in their politics. The polarization of right and left in the United States over the past few years has influenced Canada, both in how politicians present their platforms and in the manner in which information is filtered prior to public ingestion. […]

What Is Organizing, Anyway?

August 1, 2021

Welcome to the first Organizing-focused issue of the International Musician. You may be familiar with the phrase “organizing is the lifeblood of labor unions,” but what exactly is organizing? Broadly, it is people joining together around shared issues to build collective power and win positive change. In my early career as a touring theater musician, […]

Build Back with a Strong Union

August 1, 2021

As the US and Canada begin to re-emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, the road to an economic recovery will be long and arduous. Recessions hurt low-income and middle-income families the most, dragging down wages and decimating the savings of the working class. Without targeted solutions by governments, the effects of this pandemic will be long […]

Riding the Third Rails: Making the Case at WIPO for Performer Streaming Remuneration

July 1, 2021

This month, my guest columnist is Texas attorney Chris Castle, who works on a variety of matters in the nexus of music, technology, and policy. His most recent public policy study for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) addresses the systemic economic unfairness proffered by Spotify, Apple Music, and other interactive streaming platforms toward musicians. […]

Return to the NYC Office and Other Recent Events

July 1, 2021

It’s been just over 15 months since the AFM New York City headquarters was first forced to close in order to comply with federal and state COVID-19 shutdown restrictions on March 19, 2020. While the office did reopen three months later (June 2020), it was for essential staff only, with strict COVID-19 procedures in place. […]

Cutting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face

July 1, 2021

As an author or songwriter, one has to love the concept of copyright. After centuries of debate, most effectively through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), there are now both domestic laws and international treaties that protect your rights as a creator (with variances called National Treatment from country to country). As the creator and […]

“We the Willing”

July 1, 2021

We’ve all been through a particularly rough year and a half, but the situation is improving, people are gathering, and work is coming back. It’s exhilarating to reconnect with colleagues and bandmates and perform in front of live audiences again. But there’s something else: we have to remember that the “good old days” were not so good. Many workers struggled to cover basic needs, even while working long hours providing essential services. We have an opportunity to change the narrative, to build power and create a better future. I firmly believe that musicians and music making are an essential part of achieving this generational correction.

The PRO Act Would Level the Playing Field for Organizing

June 1, 2021

Organizing is the lifeblood of any union, and with our current labor law, it is the most difficult task we face as a labor organization. It takes commitment, tenacity, and abundant resources to be successful. Organizing new workplaces brings the benefits of collective bargaining to newly organized workers, which grows our membership and creates increased […]

“The Times They Are a-Changin’” or “Disruptive Innovation”?

June 1, 2021

There’s a new energy out there. You can feel it, right?  It’s not just that things are starting to open up, even in our industry. It’s that this lost year may not have been a complete loss, but rather a realignment. Part of that realignment has to do with the level of activism and engagement that I’m seeing all around us.  […]