Category: Newsletter

Lester Petrillo Memorial Fund Started in 1951 with a $10,000 personal contribution from then-President James C. Petrillo in memory of his late son, the Lester Petrillo Memorial Fund for Disabled Musicians is a charitable trust fund that provides financial aid to disabled musicians. This fund is not intended to replace health insurance or provide general READ MORE

United Food and Commercial Workers have voted down a tentative agreement with Kroger by overwhelming margins. Workers are upset over wages that are not keeping up with inflation, as well as a proposed change that would make only full-time employees eligible for seniority pay. They are also upset over chronic understaffing. AGMA has reached its READ MORE

Washington Performing Arts will use alternate venues instead of performing at the Kennedy Center next season. WPA presents artists including Sigourney Weaver, the Chicago Symphony, and Yo-Yo Ma. Previously, the touring production of Hamilton had also declined to perform at the Kennedy Center. PBS and NPR have sued to block the Trump administration executive order READ MORE

New, Reinstated, and Resigned members for June 2025: New Members: Reinstated Members: Resigned Members: none Deceased Members: none

Wage Scale Increase This is a reminder that minimum wage scales increased on June 1. Please visit https://www.afm655.org/members/wagescale.php to see the new rates, and make sure you get paid what you are worth! Florida Grand Opera Florida Grand Opera has announced plans to end its relationship with Miami Symphonic Services and instead have an in-house READ MORE

Last month our officers assisted a member who feels she was unfairly dismissed from Palm Beach Opera. The contract dictates how dismissals are to be handled, and we believe that the process was not handled fairly. Ultimately it may be up to an appeals committee composed of Palm Beach Opera musicians to determine whether to READ MORE