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"The only object of the AFM is to bring order out chaos and to harmonize and bring together all the professional musicians of the country into one united progressive body." These are the words of Owen Miller, The first president of the AFM, spoken in 1896. Today, 105 years later, the mission of the AFM remains essentially the same, though tempered by time and transformed by technology. New wrinkles form daily in the effort to protect musicians' rights. In a community now coming to terms with the Internet, music file-swapping, streaming audio, and even "virtual" orchestras, it is even more important that we find new ways to bring order out of chaos. The following is an "at-a-glance" version of the history of the AFM. Take a few moments to browse through a century of accomplishments and extraordinary events, and discover the unique evolution of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
1878: The New York City based Musical Mutual Protective Union forms, taking the first steps toward unionizing musicians by acting to fix union scales for different types of music.
1886: Delegates from 15 Protective Unions come together to form the National League of Musicians (NLM), to address issues of common concern to musicians.
1887: The American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Knights of Labor begin inviting the NLM to affiliate with the Labor Movement, and are continually refused. The situation sparks a long and heated debate between different factions of musicians, namely the "silk hats" who preferred to be known exclusively as an artists' organization, and the "stove polishers," who believed that union affiliation was the next logical step in advancing the cause of working musicians.
1896: Pro-union forces within the NLM break ranks and request a charter from AFL President Samuel Gompers. At Gompers' invitation, 31 delegates representing 21 locals, together with a representative of the NLM, meet on October 19 in Indianapolis, Indiana. A majority of the delegates vote to form the American Federation of Musicians, representing 3,000 musicians nationally.
The newly formed AFM adopts its first Standing Resolution: "That any musician who receives pay for his musical services, shall be considered a professional musician."
Owen Miller is elected as the AFM's first President.
1897: The AFM protests the wholesale importation of European musicians "as being instrumental in endangering the existence of musicians in this country and depreciating their opportunities to earn a respectable livelihood as American citizens."
The AFM invites the Montreal Musicians Protective Union and the Toronto Orchestral Association to join the AFM.
In order to comply with the law and represent black musicians, the AFM charters its first "colored" local in St. Louis.
1898: The AFM Convention appoints a "government competition" committee, which is to proceed to Washington, DC, to support a bill prohibiting military musicians from competing against civilians.
1899: Only three years after the organization's formation, the AFM boasts 91 locals representing a total of 9,563 musicians.
1900: Joseph Weber is elected as the second President of the AFM. With the exception of a one-year hiatus from 1914 to 1915, Weber would become the AFM's longest-serving President, maintaining his position until 1940.
The AFM changes its name to the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
1901: The official journal of the AFM, which had been published privately, is to be published by the AFM Secretary from this point on, and would hereafter be known as the International Musician.
1903: The AFM appeals to President Theodore Roosevelt to aid in the cause of prohibiting military musicians from competing against civilian musicians.
1904: The NLM officially dissolves at its convention.
1905: A position is created on the IEB to provide Canadian representation at the Federation level.
1912: The issue of establishing a pension fund is first raised.
1913: The Federation and IATSE sign an agreement to support each other in controversies surrounding theaters.
1916: After years of protest and lobbying by the AFM, Congress finally passes a law prohibiting members of the armed services from competing with civilians, helping to alleviate military band competition.
1917: As a result of continual lobbying by the AFM and the rest of the labor movement, Congress enacts a ban of all foreign contract labor, which is interpreted to include most musicians, thus finally curtailing the pervasive unregulated admission of foreign musicians into the US.
1918: The AFM wages a campaign to prevent passage of the 18th Amendment, also known as the "Prohibition Amendment," as such a law would adversely affect the various entertainment establishments that employ live musicians.
Congress adopts a 20% "Cabaret Tax" on admissions to various entertainment establishments in order to support the war effort.
1924: President Weber states that "Radio has created a problem which at the present time only affects a limited number of locals, but which will undoubtedly grow in proportion and must be met."
1927: The AFM first faces wholesale technological unemployment, with the release of the "Jazz Singer," the very first "talkie."
To combat free appearances on radio for "publicity," the Convention rules that leaders cannot advertise their orchestras as free of charge to radio stations, even if they pay the members of the orchestra local scale for their services.
1928: The AFM sets scales for Vitaphone, Movietone, and phonograph record work.
1929: The union launches an extensive public relations campaign aimed at swaying the public against the "dehumanizing entertainment of canned music."
1930: Less than three years after the debut of the first talkie, the AFM estimates that 22,000 theater jobs for musicians accompanying silent films have been lost. However, fewer than 200 jobs for musicians performing on soundtracks have been created.
The AFM establishes the Music Defense League to gain public support for its fight against "canned music" in movie theaters.
1935: Congress passes the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
1937: President Weber takes a strong stand against the encroachment of recorded music on radio. Threatening a nationwide radio strike, he negotiates a deal with radio network affiliates that requires the networks to spend an additional $2 million on staff musicians.
1939: The FCC upholds a rule that all radio stations must announce when they are using recorded music, and rules that they must keep a log of all recorded music use.
1940: James C. Petrillo is elected President of the AFM.
1942: President Petrillo, convinced that musicians who made phonograph records were "playing for their own funerals," calls for a ban on all recording by AFM members. The only exceptions were allowed for those involved in the making of "victory discs" or "v-discs," which were created by the War Department to boost the morale of US troops overseas.
The Boston Symphony becomes the last major symphony to be unionized.
1944: The recording ban ends, with the establishment of the Recording Industries' Music Performance Trust Funds (MPTF). The thinking behind the establishment of the MPTF was that producers should share in the responsibility for the unemployment of musicians caused by recording-by contributing royalties from record sales into a fund that would employ musicians for admission-free live public performances. President Petrillo calls this a rightful response to the displacement of musicians by their own product.
The union obtains its first collective bargaining agreement with the movie industry.
1946: The Lea Act, also known as the Anti-Petrillo Act, is enacted, making it illegal for the union to collectively bargain with radio broadcasters over issues such as hiring standby musicians, paying for rebroadcasts of live performances, or "interfering" with noncommercial educational programs.
1947: The union and the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) adopt the Music Code of Ethics.
The Supreme Court holds the Lea Act to be constitutional.
MPTF monies are disbursed for the first time.
1951: President Petrillo establishes the Lester Petrillo Memorial Fund for Disabled Musicians, in honor of his late son.
1952: The AFM obtains its first collective bargaining agreement with independent motion picture producers.
1955: The union begins a campaign for the repeal of the 20% Tax, also known as the Cabaret Tax.
The AFM begins an intense lobbying and public relations effort aimed at preserving America's cultural heritage. In particular, the union called for the government and the public to do their part by subsidizing the nonprofit arts community through government-sponsored grants. These efforts would eventually lead to the creation of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) a decade later.
1957: The Cabaret Tax is reduced to 10%, leading to a subsequent 34.2% increase in man-hours of employment for musicians.
1958: Herman Kenin is elected President of the AFM.
The union announces plans for the establishment of the "Congress of Strings," a training program for young string players.
In a dispute over the disbursement of royalties and the progress of a strike against the motion picture industry, some factions decide to split from the AFM, forming a rival union called the Musicians' Guild of America. This difficult period of "dual unionism" would last for four years.
1959: The AFM- Employers Pension Welfare Fund (AFM-EPW) is established, marking the very first Federation pension.
President Kenin establishes a new contract with the jingle industry, providing for the first reuse fees to be paid to musicians.
1960: The union establishes its first agreement for Pay-TV.
1961: TEMPO is established as the AFM's first political action committee.
President Kenin first proposes the establishment of the Special Payments Fund that would pay royalties directly to musicians.
1962: The union begins a campaign to amend the copyright act to establish performance and property rights for performing musicians on recorded music.
The AFM establishes TEMPO (Task force for Employment of Musicians Promotional Organization) as a separate nonpartisan voluntary fund to contribute to the campaigns of legislators who have demonstrated their support for the professional musician.
Convinced that President Kenin had fully addressed the issues at hand, the Musicians' Guild of America dissolves, once again consolidating the economic and political power of musicians into a single, stronger union.
1963: The AFM begins to lobby for a full repeal of the Cabaret Tax.
1964: At the 1964 Convention, the AFM adopts a policy to mandate mergers in cities where segregated black and white locals still remain.
The union secures the creation of the first Special Payments fund.
1965: President Lyndon Johnson signs the Arts and Humanities Foundations Bill, thus creating the NEA.
1966: The remaining 10% Cabaret Tax is repealed.
1967: J. Alan Wood is elected as the AFM's very first Vice President from Canada.
1969: The AFM grants official conference status to the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM).
1970: Hal Davis is elected President of the AFM.
The AFM establishes the Symphony-Opera Strike Fund.
The Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) is established.
1971: The last of the remaining segregated locals are either merged or re-chartered.
1977: The AFM Convention adopts a Bylaw providing for black Convention delegates from each of the locals where mergers were mandated, to ensure continued representation for black AFM members.
1978: Victor W. Fuentealba is elected President of the AFM.
1979: The AFM establishes its first full-time international office in Toronto.
1980: The Lea Act is repealed, restoring the AFM's collective bargaining rights with radio stations.
1982: Five independent chapters in the US and Canada agree to form the International Recording Musicians' Association (RMA) and gain conference status.
The union lobbies for the payment of copyright fees by manufacturers of blank tapes and recording equipment.
The union begins lobbying for passage of the Live Performing Artists Labor Relations Act (Live-PALRA) to win back collective bargaining rights for short-term employment in clubs, lounges, and similar venues.
1983: The union negotiates the first video promo royalty formula with the recording industry.
1984: The Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA) is established.
1986: The AFM establishes its first computer bulletin board for symphonic musicians.
1987: J. Martin Emerson is elected President of the AFM.
1988: The AFM establishes the "ROADGIG" Emergency Traveling Assistance Program, providing immediate response, cash emergency relief, and contract enforcement when members experience a contract default on the road.
1991: Mark Tully Massagli is elected President of the AFM.
1992: Congress adopts the Audio Home Recording Act, providing musicians with royalties from the sale of digital audio tape and digital tape recorders.
1993: The AFM adopts a Youth Membership classification.
1995: Steve Young is elected President of the AFM.
The AFM establishes an Organizing and Education Department.
1996: The first low-budget touring theatrical agreement is negotiated.
The AFM celebrates the 100th anniversary of the union's founding.
1997: The AFM organizes the STAR (Support Tejano Advancement in Recording) campaign to secure a living wage and fringe benefits for the hundreds of musicians who record Tejano music.
The Canadian House of Commons passes the Copyright Reform Bill, which guarantees that Canadian performers who have played on phonograph records or CDs will receive a performers' royalty when their records are used for commercial purposes.
1998: The AFM works successfully in support of the World Intellectual Property Treaty Implementation Act (WIPO Treaty) that was the largest US copyright bill in 20 years. It includes protection for artists' works on the Internet and new regulation on contractual obligations in the motion picture industry, exclusive rights in sound and ephemeral recordings, and anti-piracy provisions.
More than 60 of Nashville's world famous studio musicians sign a pledge to accept work only from those record labels that are signatory to the AFM's Phonograph Record Labor Agreement
1999: The AFM lobbies forcefully for the repeal of a bill which classified sound recording as "works made for hire." Thanks to the efforts of the AFM and others, President Clinton signs the Work for Hire and Copyright Corrections Act into law, which allows musicians to reclaim their master tapes from their respective labels after 35 years.
The AFM negotiates its first Symphonic Internet Agreement.
2000: The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals rules that Napster must prevent users from gaining access to copyrighted content using its software.
Information courtesy of International Musician, July 2001.
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