WELCOME to the A. F. of M. This brochure is designed to complete your introduction to the programs and services available to you. As a member of our organization, you will find programs aimed at greatly enhancing the working life of professional musicians such as yourself.
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has been serving professional musicians since 1896.Made up of over 100,000 members belonging to over 300 locals, it is an international governing body divided into locals representing musicians in their specific geographical areas. This is the largest musical organization in the world.
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The Federation…An International Service Network -The A.F.M. exists to serve its members. That is our first priority. A local officer is always available to answer your questions. Remember, to get the most of these services at the local or international level, you must have signed and filed AFM contracts
Federation contracts…
A signed, filed AFM contract is the cornerstone of your professional life. It opens doors to most major Federation and Local services and benefits. AFM contracts are easy to complete and most ethical purchasers will sign them if asked. Contracts are available from your Local office, the Federation, or on line.
National Contracts in Canada and United States…
The Federation has negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreements in Canada and U.S.A. covering national and international electronic and touring employment. An international group of producers, agencies, labels and packagers negotiate with the AFM to establish these agreements, which then become the accepted standard for all such employment. The staff at local 293 can show you how to complete them properly.
Agreements covering electronic work include:
Phonograph Record, Documentary, Industrial, Theatrical, Motion Picture, Television/Radio Commercial Announcements, Television Videotape and Film, Canadian TV/Radio Commercial Announcements, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. and National Film Board
Agreements are also in place for Pay TV, Station “ID’s,” Public Television and Radio, and syndicated Radio and Transcriptions.
Many of these electronic agreements provide for additional payments to you in the event of new usage or re-use of recordings. National and International touring employment covered by Federation negotiated agreements include: ice shows, circuses, musicals, operas, ballets and stage shows. Before you accept touring employment, check with the Local Office at 905-525-4040.
Pension Plan…
All national and international agreements call for mandatory purchaser contributions to your pension account, over and above scale. When the proper AFM agreement is signed and filed, the employer will deposit pension contributions into your account in Toronto. The majority of AFM negotiated studio and touring contracts listed above call for Pension Fund contributions of 10%
Toll-free Road Help is only a phone call away…
If while on the road you encounter problems, (the Gig is cancelled, payment is withheld, etc.) the Federation Emergency Travel Assistance Program is there to assist you.
In CANADA call 1-800-INFOFED (1-800-463-6333). In the USA call 1-800-ROADGIG (1-800-762-3444)
These numbers will put you in touch with a Federation Staff member who will advise and assist you. You may also be advanced emergency cash based on Federation Scale.
The Federation will follow up (in court if necessary) to retrieve the remainder of your funds at no cost to you.
On the Road…
All wage claims for contracted traveling engagements fall under the jurisdiction of the Federation. For all claims resulting from a gig that took place outside your home Local’s jurisdiction contact an Officer in the jurisdiction where you’re working or contact the Canadian Head Office at 1-800-463-6333.
1-You will be asked to complete a claim form and write a claim letter.
2- If you wish, the Officer in the jurisdiction where you performed may contact the purchaser directly and attempt to collect or settle. If they are unsuccessful your claim will be forwarded to the Canadian Head Office for collection.
3-You may forward your claim directly to Toronto. In either case, Toronto will attempt to resolve the claim with the purchaser by phone and mail.
4- If the claim is not settled, the Canadian Office will appoint a lawyer from the jurisdiction of said local, who may take the claim to court. Your attendance in a court hearing may be required.
5- The Federation will absorb all court and legal expenses.
Remember!, Should the situation arise, call your local office at once.
6- Consult with the Local Office before signing any kind of Settlement
with the Purchaser.
Your AFM Local…On Your Side, Day by Day… Local 293 is responsible for the services that affect your everyday professional life. The wage scales and contracts for our area are negotiated by Local 293, which is also responsible for enforcing these contracts and minimums with purchasers. Local 293’s jurisdiction incorporates the counties of Haldimand, Wentworth and Halton, as well as Grimsby, Beamsville and Grimsby Beach in Lincoln County.
Local 293 will handle all problems you encounter while performing within that geographic area… Every AFM Local is charged with an array of significant jobs, such as establishing and maintaining the Bylaws (Local rules) for your area; administering local services and benefits to local and traveling AFM members while promoting the professional music industry; and establishing events and services that build solidarity among professional musicians in the Local’s jurisdictional area.
Local 293 Referral Service
Local 293 gets calls daily from the public, corporate businesses, schools, clubs and many other venues looking to hire professional musicians. The Officer will do his/her best to share this work among our members by referring the buyer to the most well suited groups for that particular job. This is a FREE service that places thousands of dollars per month directly into the pockets of 293 members. As often as possible, get a deposit to cover possible cancellations which may leave you paying for side persons and remember the golden rule “Always file a signed contract” as you are dealing with the public, use common sense and caution. Follow up calls are a must, as this keeps the office moving to cover this service at its utmost efficiency, so after you call the buyer, call the office to let us know what was said, is it a go or not and if you must sub out call the office before calling any sub. All subs must be 293 members in good standing. These few rules MUST BE FOLLOWED if you want more referral jobs.
Traveling Engagements
When you’re working in another Local’s jurisdiction, you may be billed for workdues by that Local, unless a Traveling Escrow Account has been established.
For more specific information, you can contact that Local directly. Call Local 293 for the phone numbers or addresses of other AFM locals.
Remember: Keep your membership in the Guild current. You will save money, time and the hassles.
STRENGTH THROUGH PARTICIPATION
Get Involved! It’s an old rule, and we’ll say it again, the more you participate, the more you benefit. You have strength through participation. Does attending General Meetings sound boring? In fact, they’re very important This is an opportunity to make a difference and shape the future direction of the Local.
Members set Bylaws (rules), scales (prices) and dues at General Meetings. When you don’t participate, you allow others to make these important decisions for you, and you give up your voice in AFM affairs. The meetings of Local 293 are also important for networking with other musicians.
The Guild also recognizes special achievements and milestones (25 & 50 years of continued membership). Also recognized are members who have achieved the status of Life membership (35 years of service and 65 years of age)
Laying Down the Bylaws
Both, the Federation and Local 293 operate under sets of ground rules, called Bylaws. They are revised and updated at yearly conventions and general meetings at the Local level. The By laws include professional, business and ethical standards. Take the first step in participating in Local 293 by practicing these standards. Every time you do, you strengthen the Local and give credence to being a “PROFESSIONAL”. Federation and Local Bylaws are available to all members. Get a copy from the MEMBERS SECTION of our website or from the Guild office.
.Local 293 has a series of Committees, whose job it is to advise the Executive Board. These Committees are always looking for new ideas. We welcome and value the input of our new members.
Elections
Elections of Officers are held every two years, and the Secretary-Treasurer is elected every three years. Elections are held on the first Tuesday in December. The location is and time is announced in the Libretto.
Voting is in person (proxy voting is not allowed) and by a simple majority. Convention delegates are elected at the March General Meeting and published in the Libretto
LET’S GET TOGETHER…
Conferences, Conventions, and workshops
Regional
Delegates from locals regularly attend regional conferences and workshops where they discuss issues and problems unique to their areas and membership. Workshops and seminars focus on improving services to members. Local 293 is affiliated with the Canadian Conference.
Professional Conferences
Members who play specialized kinds of music have formed self-help organizations within the Federation. They meet regularly to discuss the problems and challenges they have within their unique situations. Organizations recognized by the Federation are as follows:
Ø O.C. S.M.-Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians
Ø I.C.S.O.M.-International Conference of Symphony & Opera Musicians
Ø R.M.A.-Recording Musicians Association
Ø R.O.P.A.-Regional Orchestra Players Association
Ø T.M.A.-Theater Musicians Association
AFM AT LARGE
National and International Affairs
The Federation is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, as The Department of Professional Employees in the U.S. and the Canadian Labor Congress in Canada. Internationally, the Federation is a member of the International Secretariat for the Arts, Mass Media, and Entertainment Trade Unions (ISETU).
The Federations labor affiliations and conferences are important links in the AFM’s network of Provincial and State Representatives and U.S. State Legislative Directors, who participate in an ongoing dialogue with Canadian and American governmental agencies and bodies, for the purpose of encouraging the enactment of legislation beneficial to professional musicians.
CONTRACTS
Personal Security for the Professional
As a professional musician, you should work only with authorized AFM contracts that provide complete, specialized protection. The most commonly used contracts cover day to day work for clubs, lounges and steady engagements. If you are the leader of a group or a solo musician, you will need to know how to fill one out, the correct way to file it and if necessary, how to make a claim.
If pension fund payments are applicable, use the AFM-EPW contract along with your Live Performance contract (LPCC), For your contract to be recognized by the Local and AFM, it must be filed and distributed before the gig.
File one copy with the local office involved, give one copy to the purchaser and keep one for yourself.
DON’T TAKE CHANCES, FILE ON TIME AND CORRECTLY
Use Authorized Booking Agents Only
Only agents who have signed AFM agreements are authorized to use AFM contracts. Authorized AFM agents have agreed to use AFM contracts, securing scale or better, and charging no more than stipulated commission percentages. If you wish to use an AFM agent please call the Local office for names and numbers. Also be sure your agent is filing your contracts.
Claims for unpaid wages
The phone rings just as your leaving your hotel room for the gig, “we don’t need you, we got Johnny B. Goode instead”. You’ve been canceled before you even got on stage after signing a contract and traveling a thousand miles.
You walk off stage during a two- week gig, the owner tells you he’s closing and can’t pay you for the rest of your gig. He’s canceled his live band policy and you with it.
You finished the gig, and go to get paid, the owner gives you less money than agreed to. “But we signed a contract,” you remind him. He tells you he thought he would make more at the gate or on the bar, take it or leave it.
Experiences such as these probably befall all professional musician’s sometime in their career. The Federation and your Local have established procedures for recovering wage claims. To fight for unpaid wages, you must follow Federation rules and procedures. If you don’t have a signed, filed contract your claim could fail.
Close to Home
If you have a claim resulting from a gig that took place in the area of Local 293, contact an Officer of the Local who will examine your situation and follow these procedures.
1- You will be asked to write a claim letter or fill out a claim form.
2- The local will attempt to collect the claim or reach a settlement through direct contact with the purchaser.
3- A hearing may be held at the Local, which you may attend.
4- Should the Local processes the claim through the courts, you will be asked to attend.
5- Partial or complete court fees are absorbed by most Locals. Talk with 293 Officers, they will bring you up to date on policy. You may be covered.
Member Dispute
If you have a claim against a Local member, it must be processed through Local 293.
You must write a claim letter or fill out a claim form.
A local hearing will be held by the Local Executive Board at which you and the other member(s) will be asked to appear or testify.
The Board will then make a ruling, which must be honored by the members involved, unless either party appeals the decision. Appeals from Local decisions are heard by the Federation through the Vice President of the Canadian Office, who may uphold, overturn or modify the Local decision.
The Federation’s decision is final and binding and will be enforced by Local 293.
A Customized Service Menu
The more you Participate, the more you gain
Each Local provides a number of benefits and programs customized by its Local Executive Board to fit the unique needs of your area’s music industry needs. The more you become involved in the affairs of 293, the more you will benefit from its services
A LIVE MUSIC DIRECTORY is posted on the website and when requested, copies are sent out to:
Event planners, malls, stores, bookstores etc
Regular advertisements are placed in local newspaper Bridal Supplements.
Local 293 participates in trade shows to promote live music and our Local. In order to have yourself, or your group placed on this directory, you must call the local office and speak to an officer who will direct you through the sign up
process.
.Local Collective Bargaining Agreements
Local 293 has negotiated exclusive Collective Bargaining Agreements in several areas. These agreements provide professional wages, working conditions and automatic pension contributions over and above scale to your personal in Toronto for all pension applicable employment.
Some of the agreements and pension percentages are:
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra—6.5%
Hamilton Entertainment & Convention Facilities (HECFI)—7%
Theatre Aquarius—4%
Proper way to Resign or Leave the Local/Federation
Moving to another city
If you move to a new location outside 293 jurisdiction, advise the Local office of your plans. The Local in your new area can’t accept you until your obligations to 293 are satisfied. Your Local Office will advise you how to move your membership to another local easily and efficiently.
Getting Out of the Business
Don’t just drop outt, if you leave the music business for a short or long term, Resign in Good Standing by clearing your obligations with 293 and sending a letter of resignation to the office. Failing this you will eventually be listed as expelled from the Local and the AFM, making re-joining an expensive venture.
Paying your dues
Membership Dues
Every member pays dues to their Local annually. A portion of the membership dues, called Per Capita Dues, is forwarded to the Federation once every three months to support International activities. Local 293 dues are $33 per quarter or $122 if paid before Feb. 15. Members who have not paid by the first day of the next quarter are suspended and may be subject to a reinstatement fee. Members who are in arrears six months are automatically expelled and must pay a reinstatement fee in addition to membership dues owed if they wish to rejoin.
Work Dues (dues based on scale wages)
Many Federation Locals collect a small percentage of money paid to members for engagements they play, based on scale. These “work dues” form the fairest possible system for funding both the Federation and Locals. This way, those members who are not working pay nothing. Those who do work pay a modest percentage of scale to the AFM. The more you work, the more you are likely to need services. Without a work dues system, funding for both the Federation and Local services would need to be generated through annual dues of several hundred dollars per year.
Local 293’s work dues rate is 2% for symphony and theatre under collective bargaining agreements, and 2½ % for electronic media work. Symphony dues are remitted quarterly, theatre dues at the end of the run. Work dues for all trust fund engagements are 5%. For traveling groups and some Locals the Federation has established an Escrow account payment system. This system allows you to make bulk payments in advance and avoid billing on a per engagement basis.
Music Performance Trust Fund
Through agreements negotiated between the AFM and record companies, a special trust fund exists to pay scale (as set by 293) to members who perform at events for which no admission is charged. Such events include park and open air concerts, educational concerts for hospitals and seniors homes. To participate, you and a co-sponsor must apply to Local 293 well in advance of the event. Contact the office for more information
Special Payments Fund
If you make an audio recording or motion picture sound track for an employer who has signed a Federation Agreement in that medium, you will receive additional pay over and above scale for several years from a pool of funds created for contributions by all AFM contracted film and record producers. Each year, all AFM members who have played in film or audio recording sessions divide the pool according to the number of sessions each musician has played. The more sessions you play the larger amount you receive. We hate to repeat ourselves but to qualify for Special Payments Funds, members must file signed contracts.
Low Cost Insurance
The Federation has endorsed an insurance package for instruments. You can purchase professional no risk insurance for your instruments, equipment and sound system at group rates from Clydesdale Insurance for $2.75 per $100 of insurance value per year. The Federation also provides an increasingly important low-cost performance liability insurance as well as low-cost group medical insurance. The Federation also endorses auto and personal property insurance for members. Ask an Officer of 293 to supply you with information and the toll-free number for this quality insurance.
National Youth Orchestra
Many Locals provide financial assistance for all successful candidates in their jurisdictions who qualify for the government's National Youth Orchestra program.
Playing gigs in the United States - P.2. Visa
As a member of AFM Canada Local 293, the AFM will act as your sponsor for engagements in the U.S.A. If you have a signed contract or letter of employment (for multiple gigs), your home Local will help arrange to have U.S. visas in your hands at your point of entry into the U.S.A. Local 293 will need 120 days to process applications. Purchasing short term American medical insurance would also be advisable. Costs and rules for application do change so ask your Local to keep you updated. Premium Processing is also available. This option is more expensive but shortens the processing time significantly.
For More Info on P.2. Visas
The Canadian Head Office (who must do part of the final processing) has a toll-free number, call 1-800-463-6333. You may also log on line for information about all AFM services at www.afm.org.
As of 9/11 the I.N.S. has made other changes in acquiring P.2.’s so call Head Office for current updates. If you have had any sort of a criminal charge at ANY time in your life, you must contact Pardon Services Canada (416 365-0722) or you may find yourself unable to cross the border at job time.
The International Musician Paper
Every month, members should receive the highly respected music industry publication the International Musician. This newspaper covers the players, the issues and the innovations of the international music scene as well as Federation news and commentary.
Bylaw Changes
Proposals to amend the Bylaws will be announced in your Libretto and will be voted on at a General Membership Meeting. Voting is in person, and a majority vote is required to adopt proposals. The results will be published in the proceeding Libretto.
Wage Scale Changes
Same procedure as bylaw changes (above).
And Remember...
The Officers and Directors of the Executive Board of Local 293 are musicians too. Get to know them and above all….
GET INVOLVED
ARE YOU READY NOW ?? ..........Then Click Here to sign up !
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