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, 2020
IM -In mid-September, musicians and management of the San Francisco Opera agreed to modifications for the remaining three years of their contract, including a salary cut of 50% for the current season. The new terms are effective retroactively from August 2020 through July 2023. “Had we rejected these cuts—including 50% of our weekly salary for the fall season and deep but graduated cuts for the ensuing two years—we would immediately have been without any income or the guarantee of health coverage,” wrote the musicians, members of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA), in a press release.
Musicians maintain that their compensation should not be tied to ticket sales, and that management is not sharing equally in the sacrifices. The opera has reduced its budget from $78.6 to $44 million due to the pandemic.