YOLA Teaching Artists File to Unionize with Local 47

December 31, 2025

IM  -  

Teaching artists (TAs) at Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) filed for union representation under AFM Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA), marking a major organizing push across program sites at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Inglewood, and Torres. The HOLA site had a National Labor Relations Board election in early December and won union recognition overwhelmingly.

Founded by the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007, YOLA offers free instruments and ensemble training for young musicians aged 5-18. Its structure is inspired by El Sistema, the Venezuelan publicly funded program where outgoing LA Phil conductor Gustavo Dudamel first trained as a young musician.

Trumpet player and Inglewood teaching artist Imani Lenore Duhé says they will gain structure and a voice by organizing. “The main goal is to better define what a teaching artist is and create protections surrounding the job. The YOLA teachers are just one of many teaching artists groups in the country who need better protections at work,” says Duhé. “With the help of Local 47 we will be able to negotiate protections and better pathways for upward mobility and career advancement. Local 47 will help us be treated with the respect we deserve.” 

“Through the process of organizing at Torres and with the support of the students and community of East Los Angeles, we were able to reverse an announced closure of the YOLA Torres site. We look forward to collaborating with the LA Phil to preserve music education in this community,” says AFM Director of Organizing Gabe Kristal.

“Torres has always been one of the tightest communities in YOLA and, in many ways, one of the strongest in the entire program,” says Alex Rosales García, a bassoonist and YOLA Torres teaching artist. “The Torres community understands that YOLA’s value goes far beyond learning an orchestral instrument. At its core, it is a program for social change, which is the true purpose of any El Sistema inspired space.

“Our hope is to collaborate with YOLA management to create more clarity and structure. Our goal is to further strengthen our impact on students while ensuring that teaching artists feel valued and respected for the essential work they do,” says García.

The Torres site serves a vulnerable, predominantly Latino community in East LA, where families are already grappling with heightened fear and instability due to immigration raids that began over the summer. García says the work of YOLA teaching artists extends far beyond notes on a page as many children arrive to the program without the confidence or tools to communicate effectively.

“They step into a community that offers both rigorous music education and a stable support system,” Garcia continues. “The teaching artists provide structure, examples worth following, and a sense of belonging that helps students learn how to interact, laugh, collaborate, and build the social skills they will need as adults.

“Some students graduate  from YOLA with the goal of becoming professional musicians, while others move on to entirely different paths. Regardless of where they go, they leave with confidence, empathy, and a stronger ability to communicate and function in the world.”

“Many members of Local 47 have previously taught with YOLA, and many current YOLA teaching artists are already members, making this a natural fit. Additionally, Local 47 has an established relationship with the musicians of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, further strengthening this alignment,” adds HOLA flute teaching artist Catherine Baker.

“There is no way to overestimate the value of music education to a child, to a society, and to a culture,” says AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe. “As a former music educator, I am so happy to support these teaching artists.”

“Teaching artists are the backbone of YOLA’s success, and their commitment to students deserves respect. When workers stand together, they strengthen the very programs they helped build. We’re committed to ensuring these musicians have a real voice on the job,” says Kristal.

Workers at the Camino Nuevo site have supermajority support for union authorization and are currently waiting on government certification.

---