The 103rd AFM Convention was held in Ottawa, Canada in June, and your representative Delegates who attended were myself, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Kruvand along with Local 47 Executive Board Officers Meredith Snow and Allison Allport. Vice President Acosta attended as an AFM International Executive Officer.
The scene was amazing. There were close to 200 Delegates from all over North America with lots of lively, sometimes passionate debate. The intensity of meeting in person elevated the experience for all of us.
A highlight of the week was the presentation of AFM awards for organizing. Our own YOLA Teaching Artists Laura Argenbright and Alex Rosales Garcia were honored with a New Frontiers of Organizing Award for their leadership in the campaign to achieve union coverage for the YOLA Teach Artists!
This year saw an unprecedented presence of new, first-time Delegates, many of them young Officers from all across the continent. Resolutions to amend the bylaws were introduced covering a great variety of issues, covering finances, obligations by locals and members, and obligations of our AFM structure to locals and officers. There were resolutions regarding diversity, equity, and commitments to inclusion, harassment and discrimination, and more. AFM leadership had made bold recommendations to bolster organizing efforts by raising the per capita dues paid by each member and placing new requirements on locals.
Our Law and Finance Committees met late into the night (and early in the morning) to craft transformed recommendations, and at the end of the process the convention approved modest per capita raises of $4 per year for three years, and commitments on the part of the AFM to provide support and training to AFM locals in order to further a new era of organizing in key areas.
We also elected the officers who will lead the AFM for the next three years. President Tino Gagliardi, Secretary/Treasurer Ken Shirk and Vice President from Canada Alistair Elliot were reelected by acclamation, In a first, Dr. Karen Suarez Flint was elected as the first woman to be AFM Vice President. The five Executive Officers elected were Kale Cumings (San Francisco), Edmund Velasco (Santa Ana), Marta Bradley from Baltimore, Leonard De Cosimo from Cleveland and Dusty Kelly from Toronto.
John Acosta had decided not to run for reelection, and after the election the convention approved a motion from yours truly to confer upon him the title of Executive Officer Emeritus. It was an honor to have been able to publicly thank John for his lifetime of service to AFM leadership and you, our musicians.
I had run as a candidate for the Board, but was not elected. This may be the first AFM Executive Board that will not have representation from either of the 2 largest AFM locals (New York and Los Angeles). The powerful and passionate theme of the convention was small locals’ interests. We will be working closely with AFM leadership to advance our common goals, and be a voice for Los Angeles musicians and the needs of our large, diverse and creative community.
I look forward to seeing everyone at our July General Membership Meeting. Look for the info, and join us either in person or online!
In solidarity,
Marc Sazer
President