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.
May 1, 2015
IM -Local 362-691 (Huntington, WV) honored one of its own for completing 69 years as a member and for serving the past 32 years as its secretary-treasurer. Huntington auto dealer Bill Spurlock was also recognized for his service to the union and the community.
Spurlock is a dedicated musician who plays the sax, flute, clarinet, and more. Even at 86 years old, you can find him regularly working at the auto dealership he founded 30 years ago, and he’s still willing to scrub and polish the floors if necessary.
Spurlock joined Local 362-691, which covers musicians in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, in 1946. “He is very dedicated at any task he does,” says Local 362-691 Board Member Leonard “Pappy” Battise. “But he still conducts business with an ink pen and paper.”
Spurlock is a dedicated family man and a disciplined union member. “He knows the rules and expects others to know and follow them,” says Battise.