The AFM is saddened by the passing of Cleto Escobedo III, bandleader of Cleto and the Cletones on Jimmy Kimmel Live! For over two decades, Cleto and his band — which notably includes his father, Cleto Jr.— provided the late-night soundtrack to millions of homes. His musical genius and lifelong friendship with Jimmy created a […]
We stand in solidarity with the Kennedy Center Arts Workers United and the union actors, dancers, singers, musicians, stage managers, and behind-the-scenes workers who earn a living at the Kennedy Center. Proud members of Actors’ Equity Association, AFM – American Federation of Musicians, American Guild of Musical Artists , and IATSE.
On behalf of the American Federation of Musicians, we thank the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) for their letter of support and commitment to solidarity with the professional musicians of AFM Local 802 in New York. FIM’s willingness to stand with us shows that the fight for dignity, fair wages, and secure working conditions for […]
American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada President Tino Gagliardi issued the following statement in response to ABC taking Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which employs musicians from Local 47 in Los Angeles, off the air: “This is not complicated: Trump’s FCC identified speech it did not like and threatened ABC with extreme reprisals. […]
Dear AFM Member, We celebrate Labor Day because musicians and other workers joined together to demand better working conditions. Our work in the labor movement has become exponentially more challenging. We face a continuously evolving landscape, with new technologies, economic pressures, and political challenges that threaten the rights and security of workers. “Workers deserve the […]
The rules for international travel and trade with musical instruments that contain natural materials protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are being reconsidered in November 2025. The League will attend as the 185 global parties to the CITES treaty meet at the 20th Conference of […]
Washington, DC—The Copyright Alliance, which represents the copyright interests of over two million individual creators and more than 15,000 organizations across the spectrum of copyright disciplines, announced the addition of a new member—the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) of the U.S. and Canada. AFM is an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing 70,000 professional musicians. Founded in 1896, […]
Congress just voted to harm professional musicians and working people across the United States. The American Federation of Musicians stands firmly in opposition to these draconian cuts. Social safety net programs, including Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are essential government functions. Our union will continue to work to ensure all musicians in the […]
This morning, at approximately 4:30 a.m., the Senate overwhelmingly supported musicians’ and creators’ rights. With a vote tally of 99 to 1, an amendment passed to eliminate the ban on AI regulations. Thanks to our collective efforts with a diverse group of stakeholders, what could have been a contentious vote resulted in a resounding victory. Thank you […]
Right now, the Senate is considering changes to the reconciliation package. As musicians, our livelihoods are under constant attack from AI developers. Now is not the time to make it more difficult for states to support musicians.Your Senators need to hear from you today. Any moratorium on state AI regulations is harmful to working musicians. […]