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.
August 3, 2017
IM -Nissan workers in Canton, Mississippi, will vote today on union representation by United Auto Workers. In advance of the election, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint alleging unfair labor practices. Nissan has threatened the 3,700 employees with loss of wages and benefits and threatened to close the plant if employees do support a union and promised increased benefits and improved conditions if they oppose.
“Nissan is running one of the nastiest anti-union campaigns in the modern history of the American labor movement,” says Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the United Auto Workers (UAW) and director of the international union’s Transitional Department. He asked company investors and policymakers around the world to join in to call a halt to Nissan’s illegal and unethical behavior.
Ever since the election petition, Nissan has delivered daily threatening anti-union messages via video and mandatory meetings. The company has a history of unfair labor practice conduct in Mississippi and has had multiple Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations issued against it for violations of federal safety and health laws. OSHA fund the company “did not furnish employment and a place of employment which was free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees.”