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Are you a union musician?

  • Union all the way! I only do contracted gigs.

    Votes: 2 3.3%
  • Union member, but I *do* take non-contracted work

    Votes: 11 18.0%
  • Union member, but I rarely/never get union gigs

    Votes: 7 11.5%
  • Not a member

    Votes: 41 67.2%

Union or non-union?

12K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  kensax 
#1 ·
Or something in between? I am a member of the AFM here in Los Angeles, but like many people I sometimes think the benefits to myself are limited. I'm curious to hear others' perspectives.

Since this can be a touchy topic, I'll make the poll anonymous.
 
#30 ·
In New Jersey when I was a kid playing in bar bands the Union reps would come up to the stage MID-SET and demand to see union cards....even then I felt like that was unprofessional B.S. I was playing a steady gig in Philly where the business agent used to come in once a week (with a large friend) and collect everyone's work dues in cash. Needless to say in this enviornment being in the union was kind of a necessity. I moved to Atlanta in the early 80's, transferred my membership, and in 6 months never worked with a union player, so I let it slide. When I moved to Evansville, IN in 90 I joined again, thinking it a good way to meet musicians. It was- a good way to meet old, bitter musicians who were always complaining about not having a gig while they ran meetings and bingo at the union hall. Once they wanted to hold jam sessions to get more interest....on Friday nights! I tried to explain to them that anyone worth jamming with probably has a gig on Friday night. What about Sunday? "Well...we can't do that. Sunday is a big bingo night" I asked them if they were in the music business or the bingo business and all I got was blank stares. I've been non-union ever since...
 
#31 ·
Hey, Newburgh is cousin country. Evansville, Washington, Jasper, Huntingburgh, Bloomfield, and I'm from Worthington.
 
#33 ·
My reaction is to both the experience people have shared on sotw and the website.

This is what I understood from the website: whenever there's a possibility you can get a contract with anyone the union plays a third-party role to make sure you get your money and you don't get ripped off. It also have a number of social and retirement programs and a sort of network on which you can get referenced.

My talking about union getting gigs and gig police is in reaction to some of the posts below telling about union/non-union gigs and so on... That's why I said : I find it is a very bad reason to join a union as it doesn't respect the basic idea of how a union should be helpful. I should have put all this in a different way.

Actually I think I still do not get what's really behind this whole thing. :scratch:

Victor.
 
#35 ·
In Milwaukee the union really only represents the symphony and is run by them. Scale for everything else (including subbing with the symphony) is far below the going rate. I pay non-union musicians twice as much or better than union scale. Conclusion: If you work for union scale on shows or anything else you are stuck working for about 1/2 the going rate.

About 20 years ago the local union put on a big festival for several days. All the union bands were required to play for free but they paid the non union bands. Figure that one out...we never did.

Wisco:cool:
 
#37 ·
Hmm, The gig thing in St. Louis is so rough man. On the bright side I've gotten some steel pan gigs through the union without being a member. If you build it they will come sort of thing. I've pretty much given up on playing being any major part of my income after living on it for twenty years.
 
#38 ·
As a musician in Los Angeles, I see the benefit of belonging to the Musician's Union if you are active in the studio scene, recording music for film, television, and commercials. And it is true that the union offers a referral service. I agree that the union does nothing to help you get gigs. That's why I chose to view them as just another form of advertising and promotion. If you actively promote yourself in their referral service, it can work to your benefit. The legal service the union offers is definitely a positive, as well as their health benefits if you do indeed work a significant amount of union regulated jobs.
 
#39 · (Edited)
As in allot of professional organizations the org or union does and works for many things that benefit members (and non members that are in the same profession) on the whole.
This is one of the reasons I remain a member of AFM and AFTRA and support BMI from the Nashville office.
Just one example http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/535493/
I think allot of musicians, the ones that think me, me, me and me only all the time are missing the broader scope of what can be done for the better good of all.
 
#40 ·
Not a member anymore. I was when in Lincoln Nebraska. The union got the grant $ for concert in the park series. So I got those gigs. Also played with the Lincoln Symphony on occasion. It really depends upon the situation. The past 20 years I have had no need, and worked lots. I do have a good story though.

A friend was on the road through the 70's and 80's with a non-union show band. His dad really was in the family! So------one weekend the band is playing in Chicago and his dad happened to be in town on "business" and came to see his kid.

Well----------The big guy from the musician's union came to get work dues from the band and started giving them a real hard time. My friend's (name left out because this is true) dad come back stage to see the guys and witnesses this. He goes up to the guy and says "do you know who I am?" "Nope." He hands the guy his card and the guy says, "no problem." Dad suggests that they go outside and discuss the situation.

The next day the union sends another guy to the show. He says, "where is the guy we sent here last night?"

They never had a problem in Chicago again.
 
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