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, 2019
IM -Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers—more than 30,000—walked off the job in mid-January. It is the first strike since 1989 for the country’s second largest school district, which includes more than 900 schools.
Teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl says the teachers are in “a battle for the soul of public education” with private charter schools bleeding funds away from public schools. Among the teachers’ demands over the two years of negotiations have been reduced class size; staffing nurses, counselors, and librarians; and teacher pay raises.
“The question is,” says Caputo-Pearl, “do we starve our public neighborhood schools so they (become) privatized, or do we re-invest in our public neighborhood schools for our students and for a thriving city?”