American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

Background

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada was established in October 1896 in Indianapolis, Indiana, when a group of delegates broke away from the National League of Musicians to form what they described as a more broadly representative organization. The union was quickly chartered by the American Federation of Labor, a predecessor to the AFL-CIO, and grew rapidly; within a year, Canadian locals in Montreal and Toronto affiliated, giving the union its international character. ^{4 5}

Through much of its early history, the AFM maintained racially segregated locals, with Black musicians either excluded from membership or placed in separate “subsidiary locals” lacking full voting rights until the practice was officially abolished in the mid-1940s, though dual locals persisted into the 1950s. ⁶

The AFM’s membership peaked at approximately 331,000 in 1976 before declining substantially to 150,000 by 1995, as technological disruptions, including synthesizers and digital audio recording, reduced demand for session players and live orchestral musicians. ⁷

In 2023, Tino Gagliardi was elected international president at the union’s 102nd convention in Las Vegas, succeeding Ray Hair, who had held the post since 2010. ⁸

Activities

Collective Bargaining

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada negotiates agreements covering live performances, feature film and television scores, Broadway productions, and streaming content. In early 2020, the union concluded a two-year negotiation with major studios, including Warner, CBS/Viacom, NBCUniversal, Sony, Disney/ABC, MGM, and Paramount, securing a 3 percent annual wage increase, on-screen credits for films longer than 96 minutes, and increased residual payments for digital rentals and purchases. ⁹

In 2025, the AFM’s New York City affiliate, Local 802, engaged in high-profile contract negotiations with the Broadway League following the expiration of its contract. Approximately 98 percent of voting members authorized a strike; a tentative three-year agreement was reached in October 2025, averting a work stoppage on Broadway and delivering wage and health benefit increases. ^{10 11}

Legislative Lobbying

The AFM maintains a Washington, D.C., legislative office and lobbies the U.S. Congress on a variety of issues that align closely with the priorities of the broader labor-left coalition. The union has advocated for increasing National Endowment for the Arts funding to at least $1 per capita (approximately $336 million), for legislation to restore the deductibility of union dues, and for the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a bill that would significantly expand union organizing powers. The union has also lobbied for the American Music Fairness Act, legislation that would impose new royalty obligations on terrestrial AM/FM radio broadcasters. ^{12 13}

In 2024, the AFM named Ben Kessler as its legislative and political director. Kessler previously worked as director of federal affairs for the National Endowment for the Arts. ¹³

Artificial Intelligence

The union has strongly opposed the use of generative artificial intelligence to replace live musicians. AFM Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk wrote in 2023 that the capturing of musician sounds for AI-generated content “should be unlawful. Period.” The AFM has lobbied in support of the NO FAKES Act, which would restrict AI-generated replicas of an individual’s voice and likeness, and has framed AI regulation as a core legislative priority. In March 2026, the union organized a rally in Times Square calling for consent, compensation, and credit requirements on the use of musicians’ performances in machine learning and generative AI systems. ^{14 13 15}

Fair Trade Music

The AFM operates a program called Fair Trade Music, a campaign that requires participating organizations to contact and involve a local AFM affiliate, designate a representative to the AFM International Board, and use Fair Trade Music branding. Members must also encourage the use of signed agreements based on national templates that guarantee musicians no less than local community standards. The program is open to non-AFM members as a vehicle for expanding the union’s influence beyond its direct membership. ¹⁶

Leadership

Tino Gagliardi has worked as international president of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada since August 2023, when he took office following his election at the union’s 102nd convention. Gagliardi is a professional trumpet player who previously served multiple terms as president of AFM Local 802 in New York City (2010 to 2018 and 2022 to 2023). As Local 802 president, he was appointed in 2015 by then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) to the New York City Cultural Affairs Plan Citizens’ Advisory Committee. ^{8 17 18}

Political Activities

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada operates a political action committee, the Taskforce for Employment of Musicians Promotional Organization (TEMPO), which has been registered with the Federal Election Commission since 1977.  ³ TEMPO is funded by direct voluntary donations from union members rather than from the general dues treasury, per federal regulations. TEMPO’s stated priorities include greater National Endowment for the Arts funding, stricter copyright protections, and candidates who support labor organizing powers. ¹²

Since the 2020 election cycle, all AFM federal political committee contributions went to Democratic candidates, with the PAC having contributed small amounts to Republican candidates in prior cycles. The PAC raised $48,000 in the 2024 election cycle, with $20,000 going directly to Democratic campaigns. ³