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Unions Strike Back: Rally & Dance Party – 5/26/2023

Get ready Los Angeles! We’re gearing up for the summer of strikes with the first ever UNIONS STRIKE BACK: Rally and Dance Party. Unions from all industry sectors are gathering to participate in a massive showing of solidarity to demand JUSTICE. ✊

Many unions including the AFM have contracts ending this year. We are standing shoulder to shoulder to ensure that we all get our fair share of fair pay, better benefits, and strong contracts.

Who: All of Los Angeles Labor

What: UNIONS STRIKE BACK: Rally and Dance Party

When: Friday, May 26, 4-7pm

Where: 12th St. & Figueroa Blvd, Downtown Los Angeles – AFM Local 47 musicians will gather at the Shaquille O’Neal statue outside Crypto.com Arena

Getting There: Directions | Parking Map | Public Transportation

Click Here to RSVP

Facebook Event Page

Be sure to wear your blue Local 47 T-shirt! Share this with everyone you know and be there, the resistance needs you. #UnionsStrikeBack

Final Note: Caroline Erika Buckman

Member. Viola
6/5/1974 – 3/5/2023

Caroline Erika Buckman, a talented violist and cherished friend to many, passed away on March 5 in Los Angeles after a valiant six-year battle with breast cancer. She was 48 years old. Continue reading →

All That Jazz: First Annual AFM Local 47 Jazz Festival a Huge Success

A heartfelt thanks to all performers and attendees at our First Annual AFM Local 47 Jazz Festival!

We celebrated our three-day inaugural concert series over three Sundays in April, during Jazz Appreciation Month, in our new Captain Greg Welch Gathering Place. Generously sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and AFM Local 47, and supported by CenterStaging and Union Graphics, the concerts were presented free to the public. Continue reading →

Member Spotlight: Reggie Watts

Reggie Watts, known for his improvised musical sets created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine, refers to himself as a “disinformationist” who aims to disorient his audience in a comedic fashion. Continue reading →

Sign up to support striking WGA writers!

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has joined SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and I.A.T.S.E. in support of the Writers Guild of America and their ongoing negotiations for a new film and TV contract.

Local 47 is taking concrete steps to support our Writers Guild colleagues in this strike. Their goal is our goal: winning fair and livable compensation from the same film/TV studios with whom we will be negotiating with later this year. We are in close communication with WGA leadership. Supporting each other is extremely important to both our campaigns.

Local 47 will be joining writers on their picket lines at four locations: Sony, Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros. studios. WGA members will be picketing from 9am-1pm and 1-5pm each day at these locations until further notice. It will be ideal that Local 47 members will be present each day as well. Please use our online form to sign up to participate. We can meet, walk together – and we will provide you with a Local 47 T-shirt.

In Solidarity,

Your Local 47 leadership

May 2023 Overture Online: International Workers’ Day

Inside This Issue:

COVER STORY: International Workers’ Day
Gail Kruvand Elected New Secretary/Treasurer
Member Spotlight: Reggie Watts
Spring Membership Drive: Spread the Word!
All That Jazz: Highlights From Our First Annual AFM Local 47 Jazz Festival
MPTF Announces Two Student Scholarships for 2023
AFM Stands in Solidarity with WGA in Their Fight to Win a Fair Contract
Auditions: Modesto Symphony Orchestra

and more!

Download the FREE App:

No smart device? No problem! View our pdf archive here.

Gail Kruvand Elected New Secretary/Treasurer

At our April 24, 2023 Local 47 General Membership Meeting, Special Elections took place to fill five vacant offices. The first vote for Secretary/Treasurer yielded the following returns:

SECRETARY/TREASURER – 1 elected
Gail Kruvand – 52
Gary Lasley – 4

Kruvand assumed office immediately upon the completion of the ballot count announcement and certification by the Election Board during the meeting. Kruvand succeeds Danita Ng-Poss, who had served as Secretary/Treasurer since January 2021 until her resignation in January 2023. Continue reading →

Special Election results: Secretary/Treasurer, Hearing & Election Boards

At our April 24, 2023 Local 47 General Membership Meeting, Special Elections took place to fill five vacant offices. The results of voting are as follows:

SECRETARY/TREASURER – 1 elected
Gail Kruvand – 52
Gary Lasley – 4

HEARING BOARD – 2 elected
Michael Arnold – 49
Marcy Vaj – 45
Leslie Baker – 15

ELECTION BOARD – 2 elected
Paul Castillo – 41
Clifford Tasner – 35
Oliver Theess – 26

Thank you to all nominees and members who participated in the Special Elections, and congratulations to all of our newly elected officials!

New Members Appointed to Hearing & Election Boards

Special elections for two vacancies each on the Hearing Board and Election Board were held at our April 24th General Membership Meeting. The results of voting were as follows:

HEARING BOARD – 2 elected
Michael Arnold – 49
Marcy Vaj – 45
Leslie Baker – 15

ELECTION BOARD – 2 elected
Paul Castillo – 41
Clifford Tasner – 35
Oliver Theess – 26

Thank you to all nominees and members who participated in the Special Elections, and congratulations to all of our newly elected officials!

Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund: ‘What is New Media?’ Podcast

Many musicians don’t know enough about “new media” and musicians’ income. In the video below, learn all about it from Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, the executive director of the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund.

Click here for the full-length podcast (44:24), or view the highlights video (4:05) here.