Local 1000 May 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
SERFA 2019
The Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (SERFA) is coming up May 15-19, 2019 at the Chattanoogan Hotel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local 1000 will be hosting a few activities throughout the conference. Here’s a rundown of what we’ll be doing:
Fair Trade Music Panel
Thurs, 3:30 – 4:45
Ochs Room
Social Hour and Hang Out
Thurs, 4:45 – ??
Ochs Room
Showcase Free Zone
Thu, Fri, Sat from 11 pm – 12:45 am
Rose Room
We will also have a table in the exhibit hall. Please stop by and say Hi if you are there! For more information on SERFA activities, please contact Debra Cowan at dcowan@DebraCowan.com
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.
May Cyber Union Hall: Labor History in the US with John O’Conner

John is a founding member of Local 1000 and a scholar of Labor History. John will lead a conversation about the history of unions in the United States and how from the 19th century to the present a schism between industrial and craft unionism has both hindered and driven the American labor movement.
Industrial union movements organized under the auspices of the IWW and later the CIO inspired countless songs, plays, books and visual art that has impacted our culture in significant ways, making America a beacon for labor culture.
Join us for this intriguing conversation.
Time: May 21, 2019 7:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/569984074
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Meeting ID: 569 984 074
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Suspension Reinstatement Fees

Hello Brothers and Sisters,
I know that dues payments aren’t fun to discuss, but they are the lifeblood of our union. Even the most fit athlete will die without a consistent flow of blood through their veins. Late payment of membership dues has caused some challenges in the operation of our chapter.
Each time a member is suspended, it requires additional paperwork to be done by our office staff, both for the suspension and then again for the reinstatement or expulsion.
I am sensitive to the challenges we all have as working musicians, and cash flow is sometimes a challenge for us individually as well. If you are struggling, let us know. We care about you and want to help you succeed wherever we can.
Our bylaws have included a provision for charging a late fee to reinstate suspended members, but we haven’t been enforcing this. Effective next quarter, we will be enforcing the 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.
Here is the relevant section of our Bylaws that outlines this policy:
V. FEES, DUTIES, AND ASSESSMENTS
<snip..>
Section 5(a). Any member who fails to pay membership dues during a quarter shall stand automatically suspended from membership beginning with first day of the following quarter and shall be required to pay a fee of $10 (U.S. funds) together with current dues and all arrearages owed at the time of suspension in order to reinstate his or her membership.
Section 5(b). Any member who permits his or her membership dues to remain unpaid through two quarters shall stand expelled from membership and shall be required to pay a reinstatement fee equal to 25% of all initiation fees, with current dues and all dues owed at the time of expulsion in order to reinstate his or her membership.
Thank you,
Vi Wickam
Secretary Treasurer
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
Local 1000 has NOT moved!
AFM members were recently notified that the main headquarters for the AFM has moved to 1501 Broadway, Ninth floor, New York, New York 10036.
Please note, the Local 1000 office has NOT moved! We are still located at 322 West 48th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10036.
Canadian Corner
P2 Visa Alert!
We have recently learned of important changes to the P2 process that will affect our members.
If you are adding dates to an existing P2 visa, or changing existing dates, you must contact Jill Leger or Kaitlyn Vleming at the CFM office and check whether your changes will be allowed under your existing P2 application or whether you will need to file an additional application.
Read our recent announcement about these changes here: https://www.local1000.org/newsletter/canadian-members-p2-visa-alert/
P2 Processing Times
The CFM is now 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!
From Mara: “I’m excited to share that my new release Facets of Folk, reached #1 album, #1 artist, and #1 song for January 2019, #5 album for February 2019 , and # 8 album for March 2019. It also hit #5 on the NACC chart the week of Feb 12, 2019. Facets of Folk has a number of songs of social conscience, including “Upstream” written by fellow union member Si Kahn.”
New Release from Mara Levine topping the charts!
Local 1000 Membership Update
New and Reinstated Members
We are excited to welcome the following new and recently reinstated members to Local 1000!
Mariel Buckley
Neil Elsmore
Shay Wetzer
May Birthdays
Finally, we would like to wish the following members Happy Birthday! If your birthday falls in May 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.
05/01 Taylor Ashton 05/02 Carl Fichtenbaum 05/02 Nadine Landry 05/03 Michael Leon Guerrero 05/03 Dana Lyons 05/04 David Newland 05/05 Aaron Fowler 05/05 John Roberts 05/06 Dave Fry 05/07 Donna Mullhollan 05/08 Chet Gardiner 05/10 Eric Stein 05/10 Andrew Woods 05/11 Ansam Al-Sarraj 05/11 Sean Pinchin 05/11 Joel Rafael 05/12 Jon Cobert 05/12 Guy Davis 05/13 Jimmy Keane 05/14 Ieva McKenty 05/14 Lucie Blue Tremblay 05/15 Neil Elsmore 05/15 Fred Gosbee 05/15 Gregory Hoskins 05/15 Amber Rogers 05/15 Jaden Spanier |
05/15 Matthew Taylor 05/16 Michael McGeary 05/16 Rob Szabo 05/19 Will Staunton 05/19 Vi Wickam 05/20 Didi Negron 05/20 Chuck Brodsky 05/21 Jeremy Carter-Gordon 05/21 Kim Harris 05/22 Boyd Mackenzie 05/24 Chloe Charles 05/24 Chloe Watkinson 05/25 George Mann 05/25 Dave McCann 05/25 Carrie Newcomer 05/26 Shawna Caspi 05/27 Michael Celia 05/27 Charlie King 05/27 Samantha Martin 05/28 Simeon Abbott 05/28 Daniel Peloquin-Hopfner 05/29 Brandi Disterheft 05/30 JT Brown 05/30 Jeni Hankins 05/31 Peter Yarrow |
In Solidarity,
AFM Local 1000