Local 1000 July 2019 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
Fall 2019 Membership Meeting at Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM)
Local 1000 will be attending Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM), Oct 24 – 27 in Grand Rapids, MI. Past President Tret Fure will be the keynote speaker, and we will be hosting a Showcase-Free-Zone and hosting a panel.
We will also be holding a membership meeting, so we hope to see as many members there as possible! More details will be forthcoming.
Here are the conference details:
Folk Alliance Region Midwest
October 24 – 27
Crowne Plaza Grand Rapids Airport
Grand Rapids, MI
https://www.farmfolk.org
U.S. Pension Fund Updates
There have been some recent important updates about the state of the U.S. pension fund. You can find the latest updates from the pension fund here.
The House Ways and Means Committee recently voted to approve HR 397, the Rehabilitation for Multi-Employer Pensions Act, and the full US House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Act this year. The AFM-EPF will notify participants when the vote is set. In the meantime, you can contact your Members of Congress here: https://afm-epf.org/Participants/ContactCongress.aspx
We know many members have questions and concerns, so the board will be hosting a cyber union hall on this topic soon. Please stay tuned for details.
The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) and MusicianFest!
The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) has begun their new fiscal year. Members of Local 1000 can apply for the MPTF program which will pay the venue as much as 50% of the cost of your performance scale fee. In an effort to give an opportunity to as many of our members as we can, we would like to limit the amount of applications from each member to 3 per year.
We would also like to announce that the MPTF has new program called MusicianFest. Local 1000 has been allotted 5 performances this year to take place at senior center facilities such as nursing homes, veterans, hospitals, assisted living. Primarily for solo musicians, this program is entirely funded by the MPTF. The member needs to find the appropriate venue and contact Local 1000 with the details. The MPTF is only accepting applications for the MusicianFest program until Monday, December 16, 2019.
For details please email Richard: richard@local1000.org
Folk Alliance International Conference 2020
Folk Alliance International has once again offered discounted registration to their annual conference for members of Local 1000.
If you are planning to attend the FAI conference in February 2020, please contact our office at together@local1000.org for the discount code.
Suspension Reinstatement Fees
Effective this quarter, we will be enforcing a reinstatement fee for suspensions. If you are more than one quarter overdue with your dues, you are suspended. When you are suspended you will now be charged an extra $10 on top of the back dues owed. Please see Secretary Treasurer Vi Wickam’s letter explaining these changes in our May 2019 Newsletter.
Cyber Union Hall
Please note, we will not be hosting a Cyber Union Hall meeting this month. We will resume in August!
Emergency Relief Fund
Please help your brothers and sisters in need by contributing to our Emergency Relief Fund: https://www.local1000.org/product/emergency-relief-fund
Canadian Corner
P2 Visa Processing Update
We have some good news about the P2 process — since we last updated members, the CFM has consulted with United States immigration attorneys, who have confirmed that adding/amending dates after the approval of a P2 application is not prohibited under USCIS regulations.
There were a very small number of bands whose additional dates were scrutinized, so CFM was erring on the side of caution to set the limit back to a maximum of 3 additional dates, but only after consultation with the processing staff. While it is asked that Members still consult with the CFM office before they are planning to add dates to an already-submitted P2, the CFM office is much more confident now after legal consultation that added dates will not be problematic for members touring in the U.S under a P2.
USCIS does tend to change its administrative practices and polices without notice at times, and the CFM must sometimes only adjust and react to those USCIS changes by way of changing its own processing policies. As always, any dates added to an existing P2 must be within the time period of the initial application.
If you have any questions, please contact Jill Leger or Kaitlyn Vleming in the P2 department at the CFM office: 416-391-5161 (toll free: 1 800 463-6333).
New Musical Instrument Regulations for Flying in Canada
The Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) just announced that effective July 15, 2019, Air Passenger Protection Regulations within the Canadian Transportation Act will include language that ensures that all air carriers must accept musical instruments unless security or safety is an issue. CFM will issue a Canadian Flying Guide over the coming weeks to further assist musicians flying with instruments. Each airline will also have clear guidelines published. You can read the full press release here.
New Benefits for Canadian Members
The CFM has also just announced a new and expanded package of discounts and deals for members available through Union Savings (https://unionsavings.ca) that includes rental cars, hotel stays, travel insurance, luggage, and lots more. Please contact Cathy Lee, CFM Membership Services Coordinator for more information: clee@afm.org, 416-391-5161 ext. 231(1-800-463-6333).
P2 Processing Times
The CFM is currently advising Canadian members applying for P2 visas to get their application in at least 60 days before the first engagement.
If you are applying, please make sure you download the latest application, which can be found here:
English: http://www.cfmusicians.org/services/work-permits French: http://www.cfmusicians.org/services/permis-de-travail
Please contact Canadian VP Kev Corbett or the CFM for more information.
Member News
Do you have a new album coming out? Did you recently receive an award?
If you have exciting news to share with Local 1000 members, we want to know. Submit Your News Here!
Local 1000 Membership Update
New and Reinstated Members
We are excited to welcome the following new and recently reinstated members to Local 1000!
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Kurtis Cockerill Nicholas Davies Keane Eng |
Colleen Hodgson Alexandre Millaire Kaitlin Milroy |
July Birthdays
Finally, we would like to wish the following members Happy Birthday! If your birthday falls in July and you don’t see it listed below, or if the date is incorrect, please send an email to our Birthday Bunny, Deborah Van Kleef with your birthdate, current phone number and email address.
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07/01 Karen Bergmann 07/01 Anne Feeney 07/01 Bill Harley 07/03 Tom Tillinghast 07/03 Pop Wagner 07/04 Lawrence Cassini 07/05 Gina Forsyth 07/05 Theo Mitchell-Penner 07/06 David Doucet 07/07 Linda Williams 07/08 Elise Bryant 07/09 Sam Gleason 07/09 Andrew Marzotto 07/10 Rick Nestler 07/11 Joseph Morneault 07/15 Tommy Alesi 07/15 Steve James 07/16 Terry Leonino 07/16 Layah Jane Singer-Wilson |
07/17 Douglas Clegg 07/18 Bruce Molsky 07/19 Casey Neill 07/20 Caroline Brooks 07/21 Martin Broussard 07/21 Wyatt Gregory 07/23 Dave Nachmanoff 07/25 Andrew Bryan 07/25 Bob Franke 07/25 Richard Kriehn 07/25 Tim Readman 07/26 Karyn Oliver-Draillard 07/26 Jessica Stuart 07/27 Susan Lewis 07/27 Dan Bern 07/28 Jean Rohe 07/29 Kelly Mulhollan 07/30 Michael Archer 07/30 Martin van de Ven |
In Solidarity,
AFM Local 1000