December 2021 Newsletter

December 2021 Newsletter

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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 – Giving Pause

For some, December gives us opportunity to pause from the hustle and bustle of touring and reflect on the gifts we have received. I just want to say thanks for all the ways each of you give of yourselves to the world through your music. The world is a better place because each of you are in it. Thank you!

Peace to each of you and your families, (biological or not!).  

Forward Together

Aaron Fowler

Membership Meeting Report

A special welcome to Faith Nolan as she begins her role as the Eastern Rep of Local 1000. Faith is a wonderful musician and justice warrior. We are delighted to have her on the board and know she will bring her gifts to bear on our Union.

Aileen Vance moves from the Western Rep to the US Vice President. Aileen has been a tremendous boost of energy for the board. We are looking forward to her continued presence in this new role.

A special thanks to Charlie King who stepped up last year to fill the East Coast vacancy and to Erin Mae Lewis who served as our US Vice President. We will miss their work with the board but know they are staying engaged and involved with Local 1000.

We will be appointing a new West Coast rep in January that was created when Aileen became the US Vice President.

Membership Dues

Don’t forget, if you pay your yearly membership dues before December 31^st you can take advantage of the 2021’s dues rate. The new rate is effective January 1, 2022. Call Richard if you have questions.

Dues Notice

Alert: Membership Dues Increase Jan 1!

At our 2019 fall membership meeting, members approved by-law changes to increase our membership dues by small amounts over three consecutive years. We are now in the third year of the increases, so member dues are increasing as of Jan 1, 2022.

The increases will be different for US and Canadian residents, in order to recognize the effect of the exchange rate for our Canadian members.

Effective January 1 2022, the new dues will be:

• US members:
  $210 annually
  $52.50 per quarter plus $5 surcharge = $57.50 per quarter
• Canadian members:
  US$190 annually
  $47.50 per quarter plus $5 surcharge = $52.50 per quarter

Special Savings!!  Members who pay their annual dues before December 31, 2021 can renew at the 2021 membership dues rate. If you are currently paying quarterly, you can switch to Annual payment to save.

Work Dues Equivalency/Solidarity Pledge

Are you signed up for monthly Estimated Work Dues or Solidarity Pledge payments?

Learn more here.

Fair Trade Music

Fair Trade Music has been one of the best-kept secrets in our Local, but that is about to change. 

• Did you know that, for years, nearly three dozen venues and presenters have guaranteed at least union wages and benefits for all musicians, union or not? 
• Did you know that each of these venues will execute an LS-1 contract, guaranteeing pension on their gigs, if the musician asks for it? 
• And did you know that each of these places was organized by regular musicians, just like you? 

That’s right.  You know the presenters/venues.  You know if they already pay union scale wages…usually without them realizing that they’re doing that.  That’s how the conversation begins.

Are you interested in securing such benefits for yourself and your fellow musicians?  The Fair Trade Music Committee is the place to start learning how to do this.  We’re going to be doing in-person and on-line education workshops on what we’re doing and how you can learn how to do it, too. 

Presenters and venues becoming Fair Trade Music venues?  Audiences love it.  It’s good for the presenter.  And it’s great for all working musicians. 

Keep an eye on these pages.  We’ll have lots of info and materials for you.  Want to be kept in the loop?  Contact Fair Trade Music Committee chair, John McCutcheon, at [email protected].

Folk Alliance International Conference 2022

The 2022 Folk Alliance International Conference, where we will be getting the word out about our Fair Trade Music campaign, will be a hybrid event, with the in-person portion being held at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, on February 23-27, 2022.

The 2022 conference theme is Living Traditions and will showcase various traditional folk music forms regionally, nationally, and internationally. The theme will be explored through topics of music preservation, migration, evolution, and authenticity, while the Global Summit will highlight the work of folklorists.

Local 1000 will be at the conference hosting our regular Showcase Free Zone room as well as having a booth in the exhibition hall. If you plan to attend please stop by one of our events.

If you are interested in attending and need a discount code please contact Aaron Fowler. 

MPTF Funds Still Available

The Music Performance Trust Fund has announced that it is offering 100% grants for live-streamed events through December 31, 2021, subject to funding availability. Eligible performances are for five musicians or less, and performances require a co-sponsor. Any larger live stream plan will remain 50/50 at the MPTF’s discretion. All local health protocols must be followed and the MPTF reserves the right to cancel, revoke, or otherwise limit the distribution of these grants due to COVID-19 issues. The MPTF will provide production and tech support of up to a maximum $250 per scheduled performance.  Any production cost above that amount must be covered by a co-sponsor.

For more information about available grants and applying through Local 1000, contact Richard Coombs.

MPTF MusicianFest Grants

In addition to regular grants, the MPTF also runs the MusicianFest program. Member Tim Van Egmond reports,

“I’ve been fortunate to have a couple MusicianFest grants in the past arranged through the Local, paying 100% for gigs at Senior Centers. I recently asked Richard at the office if a new round of grants was available, and he said there are 10 allotted to the Local and I was the first to express interest. I thought I’d spread the word a bit.

The fiscal year for this bunch of grants ends on April 30th. In the past the payment has been about $200 plus pension contribution.”

At this time Local 1000 has 7 slots still available. If you would like more information on how to apply for one of these grants, please contact Richard in the office.

Emergency Relief Fund

Local 1000’s Emergency Relief Fund still has grants available to help with expenses during the pandemic.  Grants of up to $1000 are available to members in good standing while funds last.   To apply for a grant or to donate to keep the fund healthy for members in need, visit our website or contact Richard at the office.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group is excited to announce some upcoming events and actions in 2022. 

• Watch for our DEI survey, which will come to you sometime early in the new year. It will be easy and quick to fill out and will help us immensely in identifying who our members are and what they want from our union in terms of DEI issues. 
• DEI members John Acosta and Faith Nolan are collaborating on a project to present concerts in 2022 featuring BIPOC artists.  If you are a BIPOC member our union and would like to get involved in this concert project or in the newly-formed BIPOC Caucus of Local 1000, contact John: [email protected]
• Our Executive Board has committed to ongoing DEI training sessions for our union leadership with a particular emphasis on racism in the labor movement. The first leadership training will take place in the early part of 2022.

Take Action!

The Old Town School of Folk Music is one of the oldest, most stable, and most profitable institutions in the folk music world. Its teachers, some of whom are our members, have voted to unionize.

Help the teachers at the Old Town School of Folk Music get a union contract. Sign now!

Let’s support them in every way possible. Solidarity forever!

Solidarity News

Teamsters United Takes the Wheel: A new administration will soon take the helm of the 1.3 million-member Teamsters union. The Teamsters United slate swept to victory in last week’s vote count, beating out their rivals 2 to 1. Incoming president Sean O’Brien has pledged to strike UPS in 2023 if necessary to abolish the second tier of drivers, raise the starting pay of part-timers from $14 an hour to $20, and crack down on subcontracting and Uber-like deliveries by “personal vehicle drivers.” Read more.

Deere Strike Shows Workers Are Sensing Their Power:  After rejecting two tentative agreements, 10,000 workers at John Deere factories accepted an improved agreement, winning significant concessions from the company. Early on, locals organized mass pickets, creating a three-hour traffic jam for those attempting to enter the plants. In response, Deere sought and won a court injunction on picketing: only four picketers per gate, no burn barrels, and no chairs— which evokes the classic Ewan MacColl/Peggy Seeger lyric: “It’s legal to form a trade union, and to picket is one of your rights, but don’t be offensive when scabs cross the line, be nice to the coppers and keep this in mind: to picket effectively, that is a crime, worse than if you had murdered your mother.”  Read more. (Note: This article was written during the strike, before members voted to accept the third offer. The strike has ended now.) | Hear the song.

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!

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

December Birthdays

Finally, we would like to wish the following members Happy Birthday! If your birthday falls in December 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 Arthur McGregor and Tim Van Egmond.

In Solidarity,

AFM Local 1000