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, 2019
IM -In mid-December, musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra, members of Local 4 (Cleveland, OH), ratified a three-year agreement retroactive to September 3, 2018 that runs through August 29, 2021. The orchestra’s season remains 52 weeks and size remains 100 members. Musicians will receive raises each year of the contract. Base salary will rise from $135,096 (2017-2018) to $143,364 by the 2020-2021 season. Musicians also secured a small increase in the employer contribution to 403(b) retirement plans, as well as a new seniority category for 25-year musicians ($245 per week)—an item that had been sought in many previous negotiations.
Negotiations were, for the most part, cordial, but were held up several months due to management’s insistence on a health care concession that would have required musicians who enroll employed spouses on the orchestra’s health plan to pay a surcharge or other penalty. The negotiating committee held firm in rejecting this concession and made clear that the musicians were willing to withhold their services if necessary.