Tag Archives: recent news

Recent News

Joni Mitchell Honored by The Music Center

In celebration of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday, two concerts presented by The Music Center will take place November 6 and November 7 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. Both concerts will include performances from artists with songs spanning Mitchell’s entire life and career. Following the November 7 concert, The Music Center will honor Mitchell with The Music Center’s Excellence in the Performing Arts Award. A fundraiser for The Music Center’s artistic programming will also take place during the after-concert celebration.

AFM musicians that will be performing include Local 161-710 (Washington, DC) member Emmylou Harris; Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Kris Kristofferson; Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) members David Hidalgo and Greg Leisz; Local 802 (New York City) members Rufus Wainwright and Marvin Sewell; and Diana Krall, member of both Local 802 (New York City) and Local 149 (Toronto, ON).

Recent News

NYC Uber and Lyft Regulations Are a Union Victory

Taxi Workers Alliance Executive Director Bhairavi Desai says that new regulations for ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft mark the “dawning of a new day for a workforce of 100,000 men and women.” The measures will cap the number of ride-hailing vehicles. Taxi drivers have complained of the hardships—congestion and suppression of wages—in attempting to compete with ride-hailing services. Cab owners, unlike ride-hailing drivers, were forced to purchase medallions valued at up to $1.3 million, putting them deeply into debt.

“Three years ago we lost,” she remarks, noting Uber’s key victories in 2015. “Often times corporations think that once the workers lose, it’s a done deal. The fact that we were able to keep organizing and come back three years later and win is really an important message to these companies that [they] can’t keep underestimating the workers.”

Recent News

Music Reduces Pain in Newborns

A study at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital, Brescia, Italy, showed that music reduces pain even in newborns. Eighty newborns between the ages of one and three days were subjected to painful medical procedures—the Guthrie Test (where the heel is pricked to draw blood) and/or antibiotic injections in the muscle. Infants were randomly assigned to have the procedure done in silence, while music (Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos” or Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”) was playing, or while exposed to the sound of a heartbeat. The music began 10 minutes prior to the procedure and continued for 20 minutes after.

Researchers monitored the infants’ heart rate, oxygen saturation level, breathing patterns, crying and whimpering, as well as whether their muscles were rigid or relaxed. Within 10 minutes after the procedure, those infants with musical intervention showed a significant decrease in heart rate, improvement in oxygen saturation, and reduction in the perception of pain. The researchers conclude that music could be an easy-to-use, low-cost method of enriching the environment for babies.

Recent News

Monsanto Found Guilty of Concealing Glyphosate Risks

The jury in Dewayne Johnson v. Monsanto found the company guilty of concealing the dangers of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide. Johnson, a terminally ill groundskeeper, was awarded damages totaling $289 million. Monsanto says it will appeal. There are currently 4,000 similar cases already lodged in the US, alleging links to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Based on the content of internal company documents the jury determined that Monsanto knew of the potential health risks, but failed to warn the public. In his testimony, Johnson told the court, “I never would’ve sprayed the product on school grounds or around people if I knew it would cause them harm. It’s unethical. It’s wrong.”

Recent News

Metro Must Pay Wage Increases to Workers

The Metro transit system in the nation’s capitol must provide $82 million to fund 1.6% annual wage increases to thousands of workers by summer 2020 following the decision of an arbitration board. While Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 had asked for 4% annually, the union has said it will accept it under the current circumstances. The two sides had been unable to reach an agreement on a replacement contract to the one that expired July 2016.

However, it wasn’t completely positive for the workers. Employees must now increase their contribution to health care costs from 17% to 20% and pay increased deductibles and copays. The arbitrator did now agree to Metros ask that future hires be switched to a 401(k) instead of the current Metro retirement system.

The union says that the contract award will not eliminate many of the issues—disciplinary disputes, elimination of jobs, and possible privatization—that are at the root of conflicts with management. Earlier this summer union members voted to authorize a strike and have said they won’t be backing down from that threat.

Recent News

McFarland Strikes Again

Billy McFarland, the man behind the disastrous Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a fraudulent ticket-selling scam that he led while out on bail from wire fraud charges. The 26-year-old sold fictitious tickets for high-profile events to at least 30 people who spent $150,000, according to the US Attorney’s Office. Tickets to the disastrous April 2017 Fyre Festival sold for $1,200 to more than $100,000, but when customers arrived they were greeted with soggy sandwiches and the promoted acts failed to appear.

Recent News

Iraqi Musicians Carry On Despite Lack of Pay

Musicians of Iraq’s National Symphony Orchestra continue to rehearse and perform despite no pay for the past eight months. The ensemble has lost more than half its musicians, now down to just 40, since the government issued an anti-corruption directive barring state employees with two jobs from receiving two salaries. Though the measure only applies to about one third of the musicians, delays in carrying out the reform have resulted in wages being withheld from the entire symphony. Created in 1970, the ensemble has survived decades of upheaval, but is now in danger of closing. All of the musicians’ salaries (including the maestro) added together amount to just $85,000 for the year.

Recent News

Taylor Swift Donates Tickets to Mourning Police

After learning about the July 15 murder of Weymouth Sgt. Michael Chesna, Taylor Swift of Local 257 (Nashville, TN), donated tickets for her July show in nearby Foxborough, Massachusetts, to the Weymouth city police department. The free tickets were available to mourning Weymouth police officers, firefighters, and their extended families. Chesna was shot and killed while investigating an accident. Bystander Vera Adams was also killed.

Recent News

SOCAN Acquires Reproduction Rights Organization SODRAC

The Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has acquired the reproduction rights organization the Society for Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers in Canada (SODRAC). The non-monetary deal, years in the making, will improve efficiencies and streamline operations.

Within the next six months to a year, SODRAC will cease to exist and its staff will move to the Montreal office of SOCAN. A new Reproduction Rights committee of the SOCAN board will be set up to include directors of SOCAN and SODRAC. For the first time, the Canadian music industry will have a single organization to license, track, and distribute royalties for both performing and mechanical rights. SODRAC currently has more than 9,000 members, while SOCAN has more than 150,000.

Recent News

Shawn Mendes Becomes First Teen to Land Four Hits on Adult Pop Chart

Canadian musician Shawn Mendes of Local 149 (Toronto, ON) is the first artist to land four number one hits on the Adult Pop Songs Chart before reaching age 20. His most recent tune to hit the number one spot is “In My Blood.” “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” was on top for five weeks from September 2017; “Treat You Better,” spent six weeks at number one, beginning October 2016; “Stitches” in February 2016. Mendes turned 20 on August 8.

Runners up, each with only two Adult Pop Song number ones while in their teens were: Avril Lavigne (now 33) with “Complicated” (2002) and “I’m With You” (2003) and Lorde (now 21) with “Royals” (2013) and “Team” (2014).