This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 63 of our affiliates. Next up is the American Federation of Musicians (AFM).
Name of Union: American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
Mission: The AFM brings together professional musicians across the United States and Canada, enabling them to live and work with dignity, receive fair compensation for their labor and have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. Members accomplish this by adhering to collective standards, participating democratically, organizing, bargaining collectively, building political power, encouraging member involvement, fostering mutual respect and developing diverse leadership. AFM uses their collective voice and power through a democratic and progressive union to promote social and economic justice and oppose the forces of exploitation through union solidarity.
Current Leadership of Union: Tino Gagliardi was elected AFM international president in 2023. An accomplished trumpet player with a deep-rooted performance history in New York City’s clubs, recording studios and Broadway theater pits, his commitment to the musicians’ union is further exemplified by his multiple terms as president of AFM Local 802 (New York City), from 2010 to 2018 and again in 2022. He is a trustee and co-chair of the AFM-Employers’ Pension Fund, trustee and co-chair of the AFM and SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, and executive committee member of the International Federation of Musicians, and serves on the executive board of SoundExchange.
Other members of the AFM International Executive Board are International Vice President Dave Pomeroy; Vice President from Canada Allistair Elliott; International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk; and Executive Officers Tina Morrison, John Acosta, Ed Malaga, Luc Fortin and Dusty Kelly.
Current Number of Members: 70,000
Members Work in: All fields and genres, including freelance gigging and session musicians, touring, recording artists, DJs and composers/arrangers—performing all styles of music from rock to classical to reggae to country and everything in between.
Industries Represented: AFM’s agreements cover live performances, feature film scores, television programs, cable television, independent films, video games, streaming music, Broadway, theater, symphonic performances and more.
History: AFM was formed in 1896 when musicians gathered in Indianapolis to create an organization to represent “any musician who receives pay” for musical services. Soon after, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter to AFM, which by then represented 3,000 members. Organizing efforts were pursued anywhere there were musicians, from theaters and restaurants to symphonies and operas.
Within two years of the release of the first film that included sound in 1927, 20,000 musicians lost their jobs playing in the theater pits where the music to accompany silent films originated. But these and other technological advances wouldn’t deter the musicians. In the next few decades, they won minimum wage scales for recording and secured their first contract with the film companies.
Technology continued to push organizing among AFM members, including a strike in 1942 that shut down the U.S. recording market for two years. Musicians won that strike and forced the recording industry to pay musicians who performed at live shows when recordings of those shows were sold. Out of that strike came the creation of the first residual payments and the Music Performance Trust Fund, which continues to sponsor free live performances throughout the United States and Canada today.
Since its inception more than 129 years ago, the AFM has had one goal: to elevate, protect and advance the interests of all musicians who receive payment for their musical services. While technology and the music industry have evolved, the AFM’s mission has remained constant. It continues to focus on safeguarding musicians’ rights in the face of artificial intelligence and declining revenue from recording and streaming services. Along the way, there have been many challenges and even some setbacks, but the AFM has been unwavering in its dedication to working musicians everywhere.
Current Campaigns: The AFM is currently focused on expanding agreements with major production companies, increasing AFM representation among employees at chain music schools, and organizing musicians involved in video game scoring. By partnering with local officers, the organizing department empowers bargaining units to achieve majority membership, paving the way for stronger collective bargaining agreements. Other key initiatives include lobbying for copyright protections that safeguard musicians’ intellectual property, the Fair Trade Music campaign to assist gigging musicians, the Venuology website that helps musicians share information about music venues, along with outreach efforts for artists performing at music festivals, and educating aspiring professional musicians through presentations at music schools and conservatories. The AFM International Unfair List informs members about employers engaged in primary labor disputes. AFM supports the American Music Fairness Act and the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
Community Efforts: AFM provides members with resources for traveling with instruments and visa assistance. AFM offers assistance to members impacted by hurricanes and other emergencies. AFM provides the following member-exclusive benefits: AFM Entertainment, an online booking and referral service for AFM members that accepts solo artists, bands and ensembles from all music genres; GoPro Hosting, affordable website hosting services that enable musicians to build an online presence without needing technical expertise; GoPro Tunes, a digital music store that offers music from AFM members, allowing artists to set their own prices and retain 100% of sales revenue (minus credit card fees); equipment and business insurance, with policies tailored for musicians, including coverage for musical instruments and equipment, general liability, business owner’s policy, errors and omissions, cyber insurance and additional options.
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