Local 1000 June 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
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. 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.
June Cyber Union Hall – New Member Orientation with Rosalyn Dennett
Each Quarter the Local 1000 Board hosts a Cyber Union Hall meeting for all new Union Members. This call is an informative chance to learn about the value of your membership in AFM Local 1000. In addition to learning about the Local there will be time set aside to ask any questions you have about membership and to share your vision for the local.
Our next call will take place at 8:30pm EST on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 and will be hosted by our Eastern Region Rep Rosalyn Dennett.
Time: Jun 18, 2019 8:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/674268356
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Meeting ID: 674 268 356
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adY1qOxJ0K
SERFA Report
Local 1000 was present at SERFA, May 15-19, 2019, in their new venue in Chattanooga, TN. It was a great time and Debra Cowan enjoyed seeing members, Carolann Solebello, Karyn Oliver, Deirdre McCalla, Spook Handy and Andy Cohen. Debra presented a panel on Local 1000 and Fair Trade Music. We want to thank Art Menius and the SERFA Board of Directors for their generous support of our presence at SERFA.
AFM Convention
The AFM holds its tri-annual convention June 17 – 20 in Las Vegas, NV. President Eve Goldberg and member John O’Connor will represent Local 1000 at the convention. This is an opportunity for us to help set AFM policy and participate in elections for the International Executive Board of the AFM. We will also be able to meet officers and members of the AFM from across North America.
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
Suspension Reinstatement Fees
Effective next 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.
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!
June Birthdays
Finally, we would like to wish the following members Happy Birthday! If your birthday falls in June 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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06/01 Erin Lewis 06/03 Wade Sharp 06/06 Anne Genest 06/06 James Stephens 06/06 Spook Handy 06/06 Holly Near 06/06 Suzanne Slair 06/07 Heather Dale 06/07 Justin Ruppel 06/09 Randy Browning 06/10 Hugh McMillan 06/10 Vivian Nesbitt 06/10 Israel Rosenblatt 06/12 Kiyoshi Nagata 06/12 John O’Connor 06/15 Mark Anderson 06/15 Robert Fox 06/15 Aaron Lightstone 06/15 Kirby Yarbrough 06/16 Joe Stanton 06/16 Rachael Wood 06/17 Laura Cortese 06/17 Jon Foster 06/17 Andrew McLaren |
06/18 Martha Leader 06/18 Charlie Pilzer 06/19 Skye Petel 06/19 Ernest Troost 06/20 Scott Berwick 06/21 Scott Gerber 06/21 Melinda Pittman 06/21 Ethan Smith 06/22 Mitchell Grobb 06/22 Lexie Jelilyan 06/23 Elizabeth McKenty 06/23 Hannah Naiman 06/23 Dan Schatz 06/23 Cody Walters 06/24 Colleen Kattau 06/25 Natalia Zukerman 06/26 Richard Coombs 06/26 Laura Risk 06/26 Deidre McCalla 06/27 Leslie Hudson 06/27 Sarah Marchand 06/28 Jamie Bonk 06/28 John Spence 06/30 Charles Bernhardt |
In Solidarity,
AFM Local 1000