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.
In the weeks following Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico, the most reliable system of communication was the US Postal Service.
Within three weeks, 99 out of 128 post offices were delivering mail, some of them operating out of make-shift tents. Aside from delivering mail to 3.4 million people, they were providing the valuable service of informing the Federal Emergency Management Agency about sick and elderly residents in remote areas that needed medical attention.
Major labor unions in the US are organizing truck drivers to help with Puerto Rico relief efforts following Hurricane Maria. The Teamsters union and other AFL-CIO unions are working to recruit truckers to travel to Puerto Rico to help distribute a stockpile of relief supplies sitting at the Port of San Juan. The piling up of relief supplies is caused by a lack of Puerto Rican truck drivers, as only 20% have returned to work following the hurricane. The problem is exacerbated by the shortage of diesel fuel and blocked roadways due to hurricane debris and damage.
