Next General Membership Meeting: Monday, April 28, 2025

Monday, April 28, 2025 – 7:30 p.m.

This will be a hybrid meeting format, both online and in person.
In-Person Location: Captain Greg Welch Gathering Place, 3220 Winona Ave. Burbank CA
Virtual Location: Zoom

On the Agenda (subject to change):
– Presentation of 50-Year Pins
– Elections for Election Board and Salary Review Board
– Officer Reports
– Old and New Business

Please join us for our next General Membership Meeting where we will be voting for Election Board (7 seats) and Salary Review Board (5 seats), both of which carry a term of three years. 

Open to all AFM Local 47 members in good standing. Light refreshments will be served.

If you will be attending via Zoom: Registration is required. Click here to register. Please be sure to register early — Zoom registraton will close on April 28 at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Once your membership is verified by our staff, you will receive an email link with the virtual access code.

Visit afm47.org/gmm for more information.

EUC Returns to Sacramento to ‘Keep CA Rolling’

 

AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe (pictured center) with San Francisco AFM Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare (left) and President Kale Cumings (right) at a Joint Hearing meeting in the State Capitol on March 26, 2025 as part of the ntertainment Union Coalition.

On March 26, 2025, the Entertainment Union Coalition again traveled to Sacramento to advocate on behalf of the California Film & Television Jobs Program at a Senate Revenue and Tax Budget Subcommittee. Our own AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe and AFM Local 6 President Kale Cumings and Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare joined close to 100 members of the Entertainment Union Coalition to show our support for the expansion of this program from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading →

April 2025 Overture Online: 3rd Annual AFM Local 47 Jazz Festival

Inside This Issue:
 
  • AFM Local 47 3rd Annual Jazz Festival
  • Spread the Word: Spring Membership Drive
  • Member Spotlight: Harvey Mason
  • Next General Membership Meeting: Monday, April 28
  • AFM Launches #NotMe App for Safe Reporting of Workplace Misconduct
  • Entertainment Union Coalition ‘Keep California Rolling’ Campaign Update
  • Next Member Mingle: Friday, April 18
  • IRS Announces Tax Relief for CA Taxpayers
  • Oscars 2025
  • Pro-Labor Bill, the PRO Act, Reintroduced in Congress
  • Final Note: Ray Kelley
  • Audition Notices: LA Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera
  • and more!

Browse our full Overture pdf archives here.

For special members-only Overture content — Executive Board minutes, CBAs, Local 47 Wage Scales, Bylaws, Suspended/Expelled member lists, and more — log in to your new E2 member account at ensemble.afm47.org and browse the “Overture” section on the Documents page. (New to E2? Visit our E2 FAQ here.)

AFM Local 47 3rd Annual Jazz Festival

We are thrilled to announce the 3rd Annual AFM Local 47 Jazz Festival! The two-day concert series, celebrating AFM Local 47 Life Members, will take place on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 in our Captain Greg Welch Gathering Place.

Saturday, April 26
12 pm – The Hard Bop Ensemble
1 pm – Gina Kronstadt & the Winona Wyz Guyz
2 pm – Encore Saxophone Quartet
3 pm – The Witham Section
4 pm – Geoff Stradling & the StradBand
5 pm – LA6
6 pm – Darrell Leonard’s Line Up

Sunday, April 27
12 pm – Tony Jones Vocal Project
1 pm – Bonnie Janofsky Quintet
2 pm – The Eric Ekstrand Ensemble
3 pm – Six Beats Apart
4 pm – Steve Huffsteter Big Band
5 pm – Jennifer Leitham Trio

These performances are generously sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.

Ray Kelley

Final Note: Ray Kelley

Life Member. Cello
2/26/1938 – 3/4/2025

by Daniel Kelley

Ray Kelley had the cello career any musician would covet: a member of the Utah Symphony, Dallas Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, followed by decades of nonstop studio work during a golden era for records, jingles, live TV and motion pictures. But I would rather write about who he was. Continue reading →

Entertainment unions take to Sacramento to “Keep CA Rolling!”

This week, we traveled to Sacramento with over 100 entertainment union and guild members, all part of the Entertainment Union Coalition, to advocate for increased film and TV jobs across our state.

On March 4, we attended an Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing that focused on bringing production back to California through the Governor’s proposed expansion of the current incentive program, increasing funding from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading →

Beware of “email spoofing” scam

Several Local 47 members have recently reported receiving emails from an email account appearing to be from President Stephanie O’Keefe, requesting an urgent reply. Some messages have included mention of “gift cards,” while others have simply asked for an immediate response for an unknown reason.

We want to warn everyone that these emails are a common “email spoofing scam” generated by a scammer targeting Local 47 members. We encourage all of our members to be mindful and watch out for such phishing attempts, NOT TO REPLY to these messages, delete them immediately, and block the sender.

Should you have any questions about this matter, or if you receive a suspicious message that mentions AFM Local 47 in the future, please email webmaster@afm47.org.

March 2025 Overture Online: Moving Forward Together

Inside This Issue:

  • Women’s History Month: Moving Forward Together
     
  • AFM Joins Entertainment Union Coalition to ‘Keep CA Rolling’
     
  • Member Spotlight: Lesa Terry
     
  • APALA Women’s Day Celebration: Saturday, March 15
     
  • Next Member Mingle: Friday, March 21
     
  • Congratulations 2025 Grammy Winners & Nominees!
     
  • Local 47 Brass Quintet Brings Joy of Music to Pasadena Fire Relief Center
     
  • Music Performance Trust Fund Announces 2025 Scholarships
     
  • Organizing Department Report: Reflecting on Solidarity
     
  • Australia’s MEAA Sends Statement in Solidarity With L.A. Musicians Affected by Wildfires
     
  • Musicians Support Striking Mental Health Workers
     
  • Mayor, AFL-CIO President Meet With L.A. Labor Leaders to Distribute Resources to Wildfire Survivors
     
  • Audition Notices: LA Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera, Modesto Symphony Orchestra
  • and more!

Browse our full Overture pdf archives here.

For special members-only Overture content — Executive Board minutes, CBAs, Local 47 Wage Scales, Bylaws, Suspended/Expelled member lists, and more — log in to your new E2 member account at ensemble.afm47.org and browse the “Overture” section on the Documents page. (New to E2? Visit our E2 FAQ here.)

‘Keep California Rolling’ campaign aims to boost film/TV production

The Entertainment Union Coalition — a multi-union alliance dedicated to advocating for members in the entertainment industry on public policy issues in California — officially launched the ‘Keep California Rolling’ campaign on February 27 with a misison to protect, preserve and create jobs in the film and television industry throughout the state.

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, represented by AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe, has a seat on the board of this important coalition along with the California IATSE Council, Directors Guild of America, LiUNA! Local 724, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters Local 399, and Writers Guild of America West, collectively representing over 165,000 members who live and work in California’s entertainment industry. 

Continue reading →

Mayor, AFL-CIO President meet with L.A. Labor Leaders to distribute resources to wildfire survivors

In the aftermath of the devastating L.A. County wildfires, Labor Community Services (LCS) and the Los Angeles Federation of Labor have been working to get resources and aid distributed to affected union members as quickly as possible. Continue reading →