August 2023 Newsletter

Dear Union Family,

This is our regular monthly email newsletter. It includes reminders, member news and important announcements from the Executive Board and the office.

News from the Executive Board

President’s Message

Dear union family,

Belonging(s). Two definitions: 1. the stuff you own 2. your close or intimate relationships. Having recently returned from my summer tour, I cleaned out my touring RV, and I can say I have way too many belongings, or at least I took too much with me on tour. Then there was the sense of belonging I felt at every one of my shows. Those relationships, even if just for a brief time, help give me a sense of belonging with the friends I make along the way.

Our union family is another place where I feel that belonging. I have been a Local 1000 member for nearly 30 years. Over the course of that time, I’ve met some remarkable folks that I’m proud to call friends. Each one of them helps give me a sense of belonging. As our Union continues to work on behalf of all of us, I hope you also feel that sense of belonging.

I want to draw your attention to 3 items. Recently the office sent all members an email about a very special grant opportunity. The Still Small Voice 4U Foundation is making 15 grants available to our members. The basic info is repeated below. Please contact me at president@local1000.org if you have questions.

Next I want to mention the work of the Fair Trade Music committee. They are setting the stage for some exciting opportunities for our members, venues that provide a guaranteed minimum scale wages, pension, and are willing to sign a Union Contract (LS-1). We are working on similar opportunities on the Canadian side too.

Finally, I want to mention the Estimated Work Dues option for those members that are working but not filing contacts (86% of our membership). This option allows for those of you not filing contracts on your music work or working under a CBA to pay work dues. Your work dues help sustain the work we are engaged in for all independent touring musicians.

I say it all the time, Local 1000 is your Union. Grab a sense of belonging (stuff and relationships) and join the work. It’s the most fun you will ever have (next to singing for a group of fans!) and you can rest assured you are not only helping yourself but your fellow Union family.

Forward Together,

President Fowler

August Membership Meeting

Please join your union family on August 24^th for our Membership meeting on Zoom.

This meeting will be an exciting time to learn about what is happening in our union. We will hear from each of our committees as well as have time to share our visions and concerns as touring musicians. Local 1000 is about all of us working together to make things better for everyone, so please come be part of it! See you on the 24th.

Local 1000 Membership Meeting Online Login Info:

Aug 24, 2023, 7:00 PM EST; 6:00 PM CST; 5:00 PM MST; 4:00 PM PST On Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86820260483

Meeting ID: 868 2026 0483

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kwmKsZCDy

November Membership Meeting

Save the date! Our last membership meeting of 2023 will be Thursday, November 16th at 7:00 Eastern. More details to come.

Important Upcoming Dates

Aug 17: E-Board Meeting

Aug 24: Membership Meeting

Aug 30: Local 1000 Women’s Coffee & Caucus

Sep 28: E-Board Meeting

For more information, view the Local 1000 calendar

Local 1000 Women’s Coffee & Caucus

The recently formed Local 1000 Women’s Coffee & Caucus hour meets monthly whenever possible. Join us for lively and supportive conversations about the lives of women in the music industry and the issues and actions we want to embrace in our organizing and cultural work as women in our union. 

Upcoming meetings on Zoom:  Wednesday August 30th, Sept 27 and Oct 25th

 @ 12pm Pacific/1pm MTN/2pm Central/3pm Eastern

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82276196970?pwd=RFpiQWdmQXRxQ1hhL2FERVd0VnNuZz09

Meeting ID: 822 7619 6970

Passcode: 288278

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kyKnWZcFI

Good News From The Fair Trade Music (FTM) Committee

We are excited to announce we have three new FTM presenters: The Susquehanna Folk Music Society in the York/Harrisburg, PA area, Old Sloop Coffeehouse in Rockport, MA, and Whale Cove House Concerts, also in Rockport, MA.

That’s three more presenters who are guaranteeing Local 1000 scale wages to all musicians that perform for them, whether or not they are union members. It also guarantees that union musicians who want to file an LS-1 contract can do so.

Do you know about the LS-1 contract?  It allows a Local 1000 member to get a pension contribution for a performance at an FTM venue that is over and above the wages paid. That’s right, the presenter pays your pension contribution, not you! There are many Local 1000 members who are collecting a good pension that has been entirely funded via LS-1 and the Canadian LPCC contract. It is never too early or too late to begin building up a decent and dignified retirement. Learn more by visiting https://www.local1000.org/forms-and-contracts/ or by contacting an Executive Board member or the office staff for more information.

Update on Proposed Increases to P2 Visa Fees

Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) Executive Director Liana White recently sent out the following update on the proposed increases to P2 visa fees that Local 1000 members were actively involved in opposing earlier this year:

I’m pleased to report that the USCIS Administration’s spring regulatory agenda predicts that a final rulemaking on the proposed fee increase will not occur until March 2024.

Also, the United States Small Business Administration Advocates office confirmed with the lead of our ad-hoc lobby group that this delay in finalizing a new fee structure is a good signal that stakeholder feedback was significant enough to slow down action on a fee increase while USCIS/DHS considers next steps. A huge thank you to all who were able to lend their voices in opposition to the Proposed fee hikes.

Although this delay is somewhat positive news, we do not intend to curtail our lobbying efforts. We must keep the pressure on.

Thank you to all our members and allies who took the time to register comments, shared the information with friends and family and at least helped slow this process down. We will keep you informed of any updates on the situation.

Communications Committee (Comm Comm)

Welcome to Carl Fichtenbaum who recently stepped up to join the Local 1000 Communications Committee! We still need a few more members. We are looking for people with many different skills (writing, editing, digital media fluency, WordPress editing, computer tech skills, creative energy), but if you can read and write, you already meet the minimum requirements!  Here are some of the things we are responsible for on an ongoing basis:

• Under the direction of the Executive Board, oversee general communications of Local 1000
• Maintain and update the Local 1000 website
• Send out the monthly L1K email newsletter
• Publish the annual New Deal
• Post L1K activities on social media (L1K Public FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram pages)
• Personally contact members annually through “Birthday Bunny” phone calls

Can you do any of this, or do you know other members who would be a good fit for this committee?

Get involved, help grow the union, help us keep in touch with a membership that spans the U.S. and Canada. We need YOU! Contact Susan Lewis at repwest@local1000.org if you are interested.

The Comm Comm is also reviewing the website to determine what needs to be updated and/or changed. If you have any feedback on the website, please contact Susan Lewis, your Western Rep on the Executive Board at repwest@local1000.org

Thanks to those of you who have updated your profile on our website. If you haven’t yet done so, please update your profile! If you are not sure how, there is a video that walks you through the process located here: https://youtu.be/ImoObwGcUeU. You must be logged in to complete your profile. If you don’t know your log-in credentials, contact the office: together@local1000.org

New! Grant Opportunity for Local 1000 Members

The Still Small Voice 4U Foundation is offering Artist Innovation Grants exclusively to Local 1000 members for live performances that are free to the public and presented in partnership with community organizations. There are 15 grants available for $500 USD each. Grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis, and applications open on August 9th. For more information and a link to apply, visit https://form.jotform.com/231444813402144

For Members Contributing to the US Pension Fund: Learn More About Your Pension Benefit

American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) Trustees understand that your pension benefit is both valuable and complex for participants. As a result, a new effort to assemble some practical, easy-to-understand information is underway. You can access this information now at www.afm-epf.org.

For a direct link to the participant information section for quick reference, please visit https://www.afm-epf.org/Participants/ParticipantInformation.aspx.

AFM-EPF is committed to providing you with the knowledge and resources necessary to maximize your pension planning and benefits.

Raymond M. Hair, Jr, International President

American Federation of Musicians

of the United States and Canada

Emergency Relief Fund Update

Good news! The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) is now offering grants of up to $500 to members in good standing for emergency medical or unforeseen circumstances that impact their ability to work. This new policy replaces the old no-interest pay-back loan model and will be the norm from now on. We do ask recipients of the ERF, past and present, to “pay it forward” by donating back to the fund whenever they are able so that others can get support when they need it in the future. We are also hoping that many past ERF recipients will join us at some point in the near future to help raise more money for the fund so we can continue to help members in need. To apply for an ERF grant, go to: https://www.local1000.org/resources/emergency-relief-fund/

Committee and E-Board meetings

The bulk of the work of this Union gets done through the hundreds of volunteer hours provided by committee members and the Executive Board. The E-Board meets every 6 weeks via zoom and the committees meet regularly to carry out the business of our Local. If you want to join the excitement or have a concern that you think we should be addressing, please contact President Fowler. It takes all of us working together to stand up and fight for our work. We need you! Please consider joining us.

Conference Call – Represent Local 1000!

Local 1000 hopes to be represented at more conferences to reach musicians throughout the independent music industry. Our labor and voices are needed now more than ever, for our members and non-members alike. If you are going to be attending a conference and want to help spread the word about Local 1000 please contact President Aaron Fowler to see how you can be an Ambassador for YOUR UNION.

Social Media Handles

Are you connected to Local 1000’s Social Media accounts? If not, make sure you like or follow us!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afmlocal1000

Twitter: https://twitter.com/local1000afm

Facebook Public Page: https://www.facebook.com/local1000afm

We also have a private member page, which is to facilitate communication between members of Local 1000 and to promote discussion of Local 1000 issues amongst our members. Please ask to join this page to connect with your fellow members (note: this page is for current Local 1000 members only — friends of the Local are encouraged to like our public page instead.)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AFM.Local1000

Member News

Tell us your news! Have you released an album, won an award, been involved in an interesting initiative that you’d like to let people know about?

If you have exciting news to share with Local 1000 members, we want to know. Submit Your News Here!

Submissions should relate to significant career events, Please do not submit individual gig or tour announcements. Thank you!

We’ll include your news in an upcoming Local 1000 e-newsletter, and we’ll post it on our public Local 1000 page at https://www.facebook.com/local1000afm

August Birthdays

Finally, we would like to wish the following members Happy Birthday! If your birthday falls in August and you don’t see it listed below, or if the date is incorrect, please send an email to Deborah Van Kleef with your birthdate, current phone number and email address. Thanks to Deborah and fellow Birthday Bunnies, Lydia Adams Davis, Arthur McGregor and Tim Van Egmond.

In Solidarity,

AFM Local 1000

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