Latest in American Federation Of Musicians

The American Federation of Musicians is the latest union to pledge solidarity with the WGA in its ongoing negotiations for a new film and scripted TV contract. Earlier this week, SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, IATSE and the Teamsters all expressed support for the WGA in its contract talks with the Alliance of Motion…

John K. Painting has been named director of the American Federation of Musicians' Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD) and assistant to the president following the tragic death of EMSD director Pat Varriale, who was struck and killed last month by a hit-and-run MTA bus on Staten Island. He was 69. "I have immense…

The American Federation of Musicians, representing 80,000 professional musicians in the U.S. and Canada, is celebrating its 125th anniversary Tuesday. It was founded on October 19, 1896, by a group of musicians who had gathered at the Hotel English in Indianapolis. The hotel isn't there anymore, but the AFM is still…

Broadway musicians have overwhelmingly ratified a return-to-work agreement with the Broadway League. "The agreement allows theatregoers to enjoy the excitement of live music while prioritizing health and safety for musicians," said Adam Krauthamer, president of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. The…

HBO and the American Federation of Musicians have reached a settlement of their dispute over the employment of musicians on miniseries The Gilded Age. The union filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the premium cabler on Friday, claiming that 23 musicians on the 10-part series were fired after they asked…

The American Federation of Musicians has filed an unfair labor practices charge against HBO, claiming that musicians on The Gilded Age, its 10-part miniseries filming in New York, were fired after they asked to be represented by the union. The charge was filed with the National Labor Relations Board. After a meeting…

UPDATED with additional statements: Trustees of the American Federation of Musician's Employers Pension Fund have withdrawn their application to reduce benefits for nearly half of its 50,000 participants. With help from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which includes $86 billion in financial assistance to…

The American Federation of Musicians and Employers' Pension Fund again has applied to the U.S. Treasury Department for permission to reduce benefits for nearly half of its 51,521 participants. The Plan is currently in "critical and declining" status, and is projected to run out of money to pay benefits within 20…

Stephanie O'Keefe has been elected president of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, becoming the first woman president in the union's 123-year history. John Acosta, who served three two-year terms as president, did not seek re-election. In the local's other elections, Danita Ng-Poss has been elected…

Members of the American Federation of Musicians who perform on live TV shows have ratified a new three-year contract with ABC, CBS and NBC. The union, which represents some 80,000 musicians, said that the new pact includes "significant improvements” –including, for the first time, streaming residuals for musicians who…

Trustees of the American Federation of Musicians' pension fund told participants today that they will submit a second application to the U.S. Treasury Department to reduce benefits to prevent the Fund's insolvency within the next 20 years. If approved, the proposed benefit reductions would go into effect on January 1…

As film and TV jobs have migrated from Hollywood to production hubs all across the country, the industry's reliably Democratic-voting union members could play a key role in the outcome of the presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. With razor-thin margins in the battleground states of Georgia, Nevada…