Category Archives: All News

Musicians FAQ on Filing for Unemployment and Other Benefits

Dear Members:

We’ve been working with the California Employment Development Department and unemployment insurance experts on guidance for how musicians can navigate through applying for benefits including unemployment, paid family leave, disability and more due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please visit our Musicians FAQ for Filing Claims With EDD for answers to frequently asked questions. This page will be updated in real time with the most up-to-date information as it becomes available. Continue reading →

Board approves 60-day moratorium on suspensions for membership dues

We know these are trying and uncertain times, and because of the coronavirus thousands of musicians are suddenly finding themselves out of work. With the deadline for membership payments quickly approaching, the Local 47 Executive Board has decided to put in place a moratorium on suspensions for delinquent membership dues for 60 days until May 31, 2020, in addition to waiving late fees on past due work dues for 60 days.

If you are out of work, you can immediately file for unemployment and other benefits from the California Employment Development Department. We are working with EDD on getting answers to specific frequently asked questions from musicians, which we will share on our website as soon as possible. Stay safe out there!

In Unity & Health,
AFM Local 47

UPDATE: Our Musicians FAQ for Filing Unemployment Insurance, PUA and Other Benefits is now available at afm47.org/covid19/faq.

Please visit our COVID-19 Resources page at afm47.org/covid19.

EDD Update on filing for emergency relief

Unprecedented demand for unemployment benefits triggered by COVID-19

Sacramento – The demand for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits has skyrocketed as the Coronavirus impacts hard working Californians and their families. For the week ending March 21, the EDD processed 186,809 UI claims. This is a significant increase over the prior week, during which the EDD processed a revised 57,606 UI claims.

As the U.S. Department of Labor makes the California claim data available to the public each Thursday, the EDD will release weekly updates on the EDD online newsroom. Continue reading →

Send us your questions on filing for unemployment & other EDD benefits by 3/26

AFM Local 47 Members: If you have questions about how to file for unemployment insurance, disability, paid family leave or other benefits, we want to hear from you.

We are working directly with the California Labor Federation and the Employment Development Department (EDD) to help musicians who have lost work because of the coronavirus COVID-19 emergency navigate through the specifics of how to file for benefits.

We are currently are collecting questions to share with our local EDD representatives. Please email your questions to press@afm47.org prior to midnight on Thursday, March 26. We will be sharing the answers we receive from EDD, along with additional resources, with members via email and post the same to our emergency resources page at afm47.org/covid19.

Stay well and safe!
-AFM Local 47

AFM Local 47 offices are closed, but services remain available

Following the executive orders issued by Governor Newsom and Mayor Garcetti the evening of March 19, effective immediately, AFM Local 47 offices are closed until further notice.

We are committed to limiting disruptions to member services, with staff working remotely from home where possible. We will continue to serve our members by phone, email and other digital means. We thank you for your patience while our staff transitions to the remote setup, and please know that all of your calls, voicemails and emails will be returned as soon as possible. Continue reading →

A message from President John Acosta

Dear Member:

What a shockingly crazy few weeks! Our industry, our union, our members and families, staff and employers, colleagues here at home and around the world — all of our lives disrupted. Our gigs canceled, our concerts postponed, our schools closed and all around us fear and anxiety of what may come. Who would have known that when we wished “Happy New Year!” at 12 midnight of 2020 we would be here in March, quarantined in our homes because of a deadly virus that has attacked countries around the world and now begins to make its way through our society. Continue reading →

ICSOM Provides Legal Guidance Regarding the Application of Force Majeure Due to Coronavirus Threat

by Kevin Case, ICSOM Counsel and Member of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL)

via International Musician – Editor’s note: This article was a memo sent to International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) delegates and committee chairs, and a version of this is appearing in the ICSOM newsletter Senza Sordino. It is being reprinted with permission.

Dear Delegates:

As you know, the Covid-19 situation is developing rapidly and has begun to impact our orchestras. Several have cancelled or are planning to cancel concerts and upcoming tours, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes in response to orders from a municipal government or other controlling authority. Musicians have concerns about the legal implications of this on their employment—particularly the application of force majeure or “Act of God” clauses—and about how to work with management in this uncertain time. Continue reading →

H&W: Information for Kaiser, Blue Shield, and Delta Dental participants

Please review the following information regarding updates on the coronavirus COVID-19 health crisis. Continue reading →

Emergency Relief for musicians affected by coronavirus

The AFM Local 47 Executive Board has established an Emergency Relief Fund for members who have lost revenue due to work stoppages resulting from the coronavirus COVID-19 emergency.

The Local 47 COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund will be able to extend a limited amount of grants for members who work for employers covered by a Live Performance or Electronic Media Local 47 contract or CBA. Members in need may submit an application for up to two service sets lost, in the amount of $75 per service set, for a maximum total of $150. (The two service sets may be from the same employer or from different employers.)

A “service set” is a set of performances/rehearsals for one full run of a concert or show. For example, if a musician gets contracted to play for “The Sound of Music” on at the Pantages and is scheduled for 2 rehearsals and 3 separate performances, that counts as one “service set.” Continue reading →

Relief options for musicians: unemployment, disability, paid family leave & more

CA Employment Development Department (EDD)

If you have experienced canceled work services or reduced hours —whether or not you are a W2 employee — or you need to stay at home with your children due to school closures relating to COVID-19, you may be able to file a claim with the California EDD. Click here for full information to review your circumstances and how to apply for benefits.

Reduced Work Hours: If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to COVID-19, you can file an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim.
Sick or Quarantined: If you’re unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim. (Note: Gov. Newsom has waived the state’s one-week waiting period for filing a claim.)
Caregiving: If you’re unable to work because you are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional), you can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim.
Employers: You can apply for the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Work Sharing Program if reduced production, services, or other conditions cause them to seek an alternative to layoffs.

Continue reading →