The Times, They Are A-Changin’!
To quote Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin’ at the AFM! In June, I attended the joint Eastern/Southern Conference, and the AFM International Convention in Ottawa, Ontario to serve as the voting delegate for Local 655.
The experience was exciting, inspirational, a bit overwhelming (hello international travel including customs and immigration), but mostly it was a wonderful opportunity to join together with our musical comrades from across the US and Canada, with special guest speakers from the First Nations, the UK and Europe, to craft our strategy as an International Labor Union.
Having never attended a convention of this magnitude, I was thrown into the deep end with four jam-packed days of business.
As delegates we:
- discussed and voted on 5 IEB Recommendations and 43 Resolutions
- participated in important and meaningful discussions in committee meetings (I served on the PR committee, and participated in the Small Locals and joint Law and Finance committee proceedings)
- gathered important information and skills in workshops
- built solidarity through formal and informal gatherings with our federation comrades from across the US and Canada
My only regret was that I couldn’t be in multiple places at the same time, and this is something we will be working to improve for the next convention!
I wasn’t the only newbie on the floor. About one-third of the delegates were new to the process, learning on the fly, relying on our more seasoned colleagues to show us the ropes, and holding our leadership accountable for representing ALL of our musicians. We made a big difference! We brought our concerns and ideas to the convention and shared input from our members to craft the three-year agenda of the International Federation through democratic parliamentary procedure.
Small Locals came in strong with solidarity and collective action! We created a large voting block that helped move the Federation’s focus towards grassroots organizing and engaging freelance musicians on a more meaningful level. The Small Locals group is already working together to improve the next convention, share ideas, and offer support across the Federation.
Some major Convention wins for musicians include:
- Elected 5 new representatives out of 9 International Federation Officers. That’s a strong mandate for change in our Union!
- Amended the IEB recommendation for a $20 increase on per capita dues to a more gradual $4/year increase over each of the next 3 years for regular member dues. Student and Life members will see a $2/year increase.
- Enacted more protections and support for small Locals.
- Approved a multi-card per capita rebate for members of two or more locals ($70 rebate after full year of membership in the second Local)
- Charged the IEB to create a task force on data management modernization, including a recommendation from the PR committee to consider developing an AFM app that helps connect Locals to each other and the public.
- Expanded our focus on protecting Musicians’ intellectual property from AI theft.
- Established a collective vision on organizing and diversification of our membership with a focus on freelance musicians including expanded funding and education support from the Federation.
- The Freelance Musicians’ Association is now officially recognized as a players’ conference! This is HUGE! I’m so excited to see the Federation taking important steps to meet musicians where they are. Most of the musicians in our Local jurisdiction and across our Federation are Freelancers (not working under a Collective Bargaining Agreement) and our voices are essential in building our solidarity and power as a Union!
I was so grateful for the opportunity to join together with other Local officers, outgoing and incoming Federation officers, and AFM staff during our summer proceedings – I’m feeling energized and inspired! We are already working on new projects in our Local, with other Florida Locals, and across the Federation through the Small Locals group and the Freelance Musicians’ Association. I look forward to sharing more with our members and expanding our reach with other musicians in our area. The times, they are a’ changin’!
Kendra Hawley, President