WICHITA
MUSICIANS'
ASSOCIATION

The American Federation of Musicians of the U.S. and Canada is the world's largest union of performing artists. It consists of over 500 local unions throughout the United States and Canada with a total membership in excess of 250,000. The AFM international union is head quartered in New York City, with the Canadian office in Toronto and a U.S. West Coast office in Hollywood, California.

What does the AFM do?

The American Federation of Musicians and its local unions represent and protect members in every field of professional musical activity. It negotiates both international and local contracts, enforcing employer observance of wage scales and working conditions, as well as fringe benefits for traveling and overtime work. While local unions negotiate minimum wage scales for local engagements and deal with most matters within their own geographical areas, the Federation bargains collectively for all members involved in network radio and TV, TV videotape, educational TV, videos, electrical transcriptions, theatrical motion pictures, TV films, commercial (advertising) announcements, phonograph records, cable and pay TV, non-theatrical and non-TV documentary and industrial films, and traveling theatrical productions.

The AFM has established and enforces ethical standards for booking agents representing its members. It is the key to residual payments for members whose work has been recorded and is used again, acts for members in the collection of money due from defaulting employers, and much more.

Additional member services include insurance programs at both the international and local levels; a newly instituted computerized job referral service, and legislative representation aimed at correcting labor law restrictions which unjustly penalize performing artists.

In terms of music education, the AFM created and funds the world-renowned Congress of Strings, an annual eight-week learning experience for outstanding young classical string players. It is an active participant in the Music Educators National Conference, the National Association of Jazz Educators, and music educator conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada.

All these and other activities are reported on monthly in the INTERNATIONAL MUSICIAN, the official journal of the AFM.

Who is Eligible to Join the AFM?

Membership is open to all qualified musicians and vocalists - professionals who work part-time or full-time in pop, rock, country, jazz, classical, folk or other areas of music making - in the United States and Canada.

How Can the AFM be Contacted?

For membership or other information about the American Federation of Musicians, you are invited to contact the AFM local in your area, or write: Steve Young, President, American Federation of Musicians, 1501 Broadway, Suite 600, New York, NY 10036.  (presoffice@afm.org)

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