American Federation of Musicians

Thanks to the end of the WGA strike, late-night TV is back — and with it comes the return of musical guests to shows like The Tonight Show, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Of course, with the strike not so far in the rearview — and the SAG-AFTRA strike still ongoing — a music fan might wonder if any of the musicians’ unions has ever gone on strike, or ever will. Since there are two unions for musicians, the answer might not be as simple as you’d expect.

Has The Musicians Union Ever Gone On Strike?

As American Federation of Musicians, the union representing professional instrumental musicians in the United States and Canada, there is one strike on record: the 1942–44 musicians’ strike. This strike was predicated by disagreements over royalty payments with the major record labels. While musicians refused to record in sessions, they were still allowed to play live, allowing them to remain on strike for over two years, with the labels Decca Records, Capitol Records, RCA Victor, and Columbia eventually capitulating to the AFM’s demands. This strike in part helped cause the move away from big bands and the rise of vocalists.

Meanwhile, musicians covered under SAG-AFTRA’s music division have naturally gone on strike a number of times with the rest of their guild, including strikes in 1980, 2000, and the one currently taking place. In 1980, SAG (then a separate entity from AFTRA, which also struck in solidarity) boycotted the primetime Emmys, increasing minimum salaries and royalties for movies made for premium TV. In 2000, actors refused to appear in commercials, although many non-union actors scabbed for advertisers during that strike.

The current strike finds the guild negotiating for royalties from streaming and on limitations on the use of AI to reproduce their work. Given recent applications of the technology to music as well, one could imagine that this could also benefit musicians within the guild (and highlights the need for solo vocalists and smaller bands to start looking into forming their own union).

With the WGA and SAG strikes in the headlines for the past several months, unions have been at the forefront of pop culture for some time. Plenty of music listeners have likely found themselves whether there is a similar guild for recording artists and musicians… and, as it turns out, yes, there is! In fact, there are two: One is the American Federation Of Musicians, while the other is SAG-AFTRA’s sound recordings division. This may lead to another question:

Who Is In The Musicians Union?

According to the American Federation Of Musicians website, 70,000 musicians comprise the AFM. These musicians are generally instrumentalists who work in the realms of film, television, on Broadway, and in live settings such as orchestras, backup bands, and more.

Some examples include International Vice President Dave Pomeroy, who has played electric and acoustic basses on over 500 albums with stars like Elton John, Willie Nelson, and more. The AFM’s International President, Tino Gagliardi, was a trumpet player in New York City, playing with the Met Opera, New York Philharmonic, NYC Ballet, and others.

And while this is good news for those musicians who play in orchestras for black-tie events, there’s a still a ways to go in terms of organizing on behalf of artists in the popular music field, who negotiate directly with major and independent record labels — and often feel like they got burned in the process.

As the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes seem to be coming to an end, with negotiations scheduled for this coming Monday (October 2), many film and television viewers are impressed by the power these strikes have had, and the impact they’ve made throughout the industry. But as we’ve seen the results these strikes will yield, other creatives are wondering if these types of unions exist in other realms of creativity.

With platforms like TikTok and Spotify, discovering new music is easier than it’s ever been. An artist has several avenues to share their work. However, conversations about who owns whose masters, as well as meager streaming payouts, remain a hot topic in the music industry.

Is there a union for musicians?

According to an article published by Rolling Stone in 2019, two organizations exist that are designed to provide artists with creative power and control.

One of which is the American Federation Of Musicians, which Rolling Stone reported covered around 70,000 instrumentalist musicians. Rolling Stone also reported that SAG-AFTRA’s sound recordings department also covered around 5,000 vocalists.

The Rolling Stone article notes that these two major unions primarily cater to major-label vocalists and instrumentalists “who work mostly with orchestras or in opera or musical theater.”