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.
November 1, 2018
IM -The Metropolitan Opera reached a labor agreement with its orchestra musicians in August, allowing the company’s season to start on schedule at the end of September. The 2018-2019 season opened September 24 with a new production of Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila.
The two major musical unions at the Metropolitan Opera, AFM Local 802 (New York City) and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) announced the approval of a new contract with the institution.
The unions represent several categories of artists at the Met, including the regular and associate musicians of the MET Orchestra and music staff and assistant conductors, represented by Local 802, and the AGMA-represented chorus, soloists, stage managers, stage directors, staff performers, dancers, and choreographers.
“The Metropolitan Opera’s product is the talent of its skilled musicians and musical artists, who consistently deliver excellence with every performance, both on stage and in the pit,” says Local 802 President Tino Gagliardi. “This summer, the committees negotiated a favorable economic package that will allow the Met to maintain its high standard of musical excellence, balancing compromises made to ensure the institution’s long-term viability with protections for hard-working musicians. The musicians of the MET Orchestra can now turn their attention to bringing the joy of grand opera to New Yorkers and visitors from around the world.”