When Musicians Went on Strike (and Won)

Frustrated at streaming music companies, and their crap payouts for your hard work? Here’s the story of when musicians went on strike and won.

It’s the story of one of the biggest wins by the American Federation of Musicians. They’re one of the original (and largest) musicians unions, and they’ve done great things for artists.

Musician’s unions aren’t a new thing-the AFM was founded in 1896.

Unfortunately, over the last 30 years or so the AFM has slowly become irrelevant, unless you’re a salaried performer in a major orchestra. That’s a rare job, which means this union isn’t helping the majority of musicians anymore. That’s sad, and I hope they can turn it around.

In the meantime, there are alternative unions like UMAW which cater to the younger crowd. Look them up, and see if what they’re doing aligns with where you want to go.

Fair treatment of musicians doesn’t come from influencers, celebrity musician antics, or drop-in-the bucket consumer boycotts. It comes from artists getting organized at the local level.

I hope this article inspires you to take some action in your local scene!

It’s also important to take action by directly supporting the artists with whom you align, with your pocketbook! The good news is that it really doesn’t take much: if just 20% of fans gave only $5 a month directly to the artists they love, starving artists would be a thing of the past. If you’d like to support this venture, my Patreon feed is a great way to lend a hand. Thank you Patrons!