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.
February 1, 2021
IM -On March 24, 2020, the musicians of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, members of Local 72-147 (Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX), ratified a one-year extension of the agreement that had been set to expire on August 31, 2020. The financial terms of that extension, which covered the 2020-21 season, were identical to those for the 2019-20 season.
On September 1, 2020, the musicians ratified a COVID-19-related modification of that one-year extension, that implemented a 10% pay cut for the 2020-21 season with a “snap back” to the original wages on the final day of the agreement, August 31, 2021.
The musicians are encouraged by the way DSO management and CEO Kim Noltemy have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. The pay cut for the 2020-21 season is minimal; the safety protocols have been comprehensive; and from the beginning, management has been committed to resume performances as soon as possible, safely.
The CBA requires orchestra size to be 94, but there are currently only 85 filled positions due to resignations and three deaths. No positions will be restored during the 2020-21 season.