Dues

Local 1000 is part of the international union American Federation of Musicians (AFM). By joining our Local you become a member of the International as well.

AFM members pay two kinds of dues:

Membership dues are $128.00 per year or $34.50 per quarter through March 31, 2008. Effective April 1, 2008, the dues are $130.00 per year or $35.00 per quarter.

Canadians pay equivalent amounts at the current exchange rate. You can find the rate by going to http://www.xe.com/ucc/. If you pay in U.S. dollars from a Canadian bank account, please use a check with U.S. Funds printed on them. (Our bank will not accept checks with that term handwritten.)

Work dues are paid for each job performed under a union contract. These funds stay with the Local. The more Local 1000 members file contracts and pay work dues, the better we are able to serve our members and grow.

Work dues are 2% of scale wages on every job for which you file a contract, with a maximum of $20 per engagement. Suppose, for example, you perform a small concert, for which the scale is $110, but you receive $150. Your work dues for this gig are 2% of $110, or $2.20.

Once you begin filing contracts we will invoice you for work dues on a regular basis.

Initiation Fees

When you join the AFM you pay an initiation fee of $100.00 U.S. This fee is reduced to $35.00 U.S. if you are a member in good standing of another AFM local at the time you join. (Your two memberships must overlap. If you resign a geographical local before joining Local 1000, you will not receive this discount.

NOTE:  You pay no initiation fee if you belong to an ensemble with two or more members, and you all join at the same time.  If some band members already belong to the union, this provision applies to the rest of the group.

Pay Scales

Pay scales are set collectively by Local 1000 members, to establish a minimum wage. Many of our members negotiate payment well above scale. If you perform under a Local 1000 contract you must receive at least scale wages. This applies as well to any musician appearing with you, whether or not they belong to the union.

The founding members of Local 1000 decided to make these scales as simple as possible, and to expand upon them as the Local grows. You decide which scale is appropriate to a given job (within reason). Most of our members perform under concert or small concert scales.

Scale dollar amounts are the same in U.S. or CAD, for example, solo concert scale is $220 US or $220 CAD.

Solo Scales

Concert: $220.00
Small Concert/Club: $110.00
Opening Act: $70.00
Festivals: $225.00 per day
K-12 School Engagements: $200.00 performance
(2 performances within 3 hours may be counted as one.)
Higher Education Engagements: $350.00 per performance

Note: If you perform under a union contract you will receive a pension contribution of 8% to 15% of scale. The employer pays this amount in addition to your performance fee. Suppose you get $220 for your performance, plus a 10% pension contribution.

10% of $220 = $22

$220 + $22 = $242 (your total compensation)

Ensemble Scales

For each additional musician, add half of the applicable solo scale amount; for example, concert scale is $330 for a duo, $440 for a trio, etc.

Questions? Contact the Local 1000 office or Membership Services Committee.