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.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AFM



Home » Recent News » Senator Tim Kaine Honored by Local 125


Senator Tim Kaine Honored by Local 125

  -  

At their quarterly meeting, Local 125 (Norfolk, VA) welcomed special guest Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was made an honorary AFM member.

Kaine lives in Richmond, and travels the state when the Senate is in recess. According to Tom Reel, vice president of Local 125, the special event had been in the works since 2018 when the Senator, who is famous for carrying harmonicas wherever he goes, joined a band to play on stage at a political rally.

With clearance from the Federation, Norfolk’s executive board made Kaine’s membership official with a proclamation and an award. The Senator was welcomed via Zoom by musicians, guest union representatives, and the Eastern Virginia Labor Federation. 

A wide-ranging discussion ensued that included legislation in the American Rescue Plan that would bolster multiemployer pension plans. Reel says, “It was an edifying and inspiring hour with Senator Kaine—who has been a consistent champion for labor and for the arts.”

The American Rescue Relief Act (signed into law in March) included a law that will forestall insolvency of multiemployer pension plans and restore benefits to millions of union members and retirees.

Kaine was an early supporter of the bill, which the labor movement has supported for years. Reel says, “If you’re lucky, you may get to hear him wail on his harmonica (self-taught from childhood), making friends and bridging divides with his music, and advocating for our art form and the working men and women who provide it.”







NEWS