Printed here is the Mission Statement of a prominent North American musicians organization. You may not have heard of it before.
Imagine the benefits to working with other musicians who are committed to these principles, and agree to be bound by them:
SECTION 1. We are the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, professional musicians united through our Locals so that:
— We can live and work in dignity;
— Our work will be fulfilling and compensated fairly;
— We will have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect us;
— We will have the opportunity to develop our talents and skills;
— Our collective voice and power will be realized in a democratic and progressive union;
— We can oppose the forces of exploitation through our union solidarity.
To achieve these objectives, we must commit to:
— Treating each other with respect and dignity without regard to ethnicity, creed,sex, age, disability, citizenship,sexual orientation, marital status, family status, or national origin;
— Honoring the standards and expectations we collectively set for ourselves in pursuit of that vision, supporting and following the Bylaws that we adopt for ourselves;
— Actively participating in the democratic institutions of our union.
With that unity and resolve, we must engage in direct action that demonstrates our power and determination to:
— Organize unorganized musicians, extending to them the gains of unionism while securing control over our industry sectors and labor markets;
— Bargain contracts and otherwise exercise collective power to improve wages and working conditions, expand the role of musicians in work place decision-making, and build a stronger union;
— Build political power to ensure that musicians’ voices are heard at every level of government to create economic opportunity and foster social justice;
— Provide meaningful paths for member involvement and participation in strong, democratic unions;
— Develop highly trained and motivated leaders at every level of the union who reflect the membership in all its diversity;
— Build coalitions and act in solidarity with other organizations that share our concern for social and economic justice
And that, my friends is what the Musicians Union stands for!
To inquire about membership (about $30 quarterly), call the union office at 905-525-4040, or send an email to local293@afm.org
http://www.hamiltonmusicians.org/
The Hamilton Musicians Guild is on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.
