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.
October 15, 2015
IM -Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a bill last week that would make is easier for workers to band together and demand better pay and treatment. “Right to work” laws are the right-wing’s favorite way to eliminate the power of unions. Sanders bill, the Workplace Democracy Act, would make “right to work” a thing of the past, no longer allowing states to pre-empt federal labor laws. It would rectify current laws that deny American laborers the right to elect people to represent their best interests and negotiate the “terms and conditions of their employment or other mutual aid or protection” on their behalf. Sanders would like to make it easier to form a union, including eliminating the current two-ballot process.
The bill would also make it harder for corporations to take advantage of vulnerable, unprotected workers in countries like China. Under Sanders’ bill, employees of US companies in other countries could file labor complaints against the company if they were treated unfairly.