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MEMBERS ONLY
PRIVATE AREA
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Welcome and thank you for your interest in the
Musicians' Association of Metropolitan Baltimore, Local 40-543 of the American Federation
of Musicians of the United States and Canada. The AFM is the largest organization in the
world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians. Local 40-543
represents musicians in Central Maryland, the state's Upper Chesapeake region, and
Maryland's Eastern Shore.
"MJ The Musical" at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre
Back row, standing left to right: Kieron Irvine, Andrew Connors, Matt Belzer, Christopher Steele, Tom Lagana, Keith Daudelin
Front row, sitting left to right: James Bonaparte-Coggins, John Bratton, Nathanael Wilkerson (Conductor), Jason Yarcho, Lily Guarneros Masse, Mesia Austin (not pictured)
Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre presented "MJ The Musical" from November 12-17, 2024. The pit musicians are pictured above. These musicians all worked under the newly negotiated CBA between AFM Local 40-543 and TMG Hippodrome.
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IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLOISTS, ENSEMBLES, AND CONTRACTORS/LEADERS
This fall and winter, Local 40-543 will be updating, improving, and expanding its website
listings for Soloists, Groups, and Leaders. This promotion is offered at no cost to its
members.
If you want yourself or your group to be included, please send your name and/or the name
of your group along with contract information to our Office Manager, Mary Ann Szymanik, at
office@musiciansunion.org. We suggest, at a minimum, that you provide a link to your
website. If you don't have a website, think about creating one. The AFM offers low-cost
website hosting.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann via email or leave a message at (410) 377-7277.
Be sure to visit Local 40-543's Facebook page. We'd love to have more material posted about
musicians in our jurisdiction.
Local 40-543 wants to grow the work opportunities for its members. We hope you will help
us create a new and improved listing for Soloists, Groups, and Leaders.
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Welcome to Baltimore, hon, and we're so happy you're here!
Clockwise from top left: Bassist Ryan Avila, Assistant Principal Trombone Chris Wolf,
Principal Flute Martha Long, bassist Casey Karr, Assistant Principal/Utility Horn Aidan
Alcocer, and Principal Horn Jay Ferree.
Our 24/25 season is well underway and we wanted to take this opportunity to officially
introduce and welcome some new members to our Orchestra!
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Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Ratifies Second Three-Year Contract with Musicians' Union, Ensuring Stability and Growth
The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) announced on August 28, 2024, the ratification
of a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the musicians of the orchestra;
the musicians are represented by the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore,
Local 40-543 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). This marks the second
consecutive three-year agreement between the MSO and its musicians, underscoring the
strong and positive relationship between the organization and the dedicated artists who
bring its performances to life.
The newly ratified contract guarantees an annual wage increase of 12% over the life of the
agreement for the musicians. This significant agreement reflects the MSO's commitment to
providing fair compensation and a supportive working environment for its musicians, while
also ensuring the continued delivery of high-quality performances to audiences across the
Mid-Atlantic region.
Jeffrey Parker, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Symphony
Orchestra, expressed his enthusiasm for the successful negotiations, stating, "Reaching
this agreement is a moment of great pride for our organization. It is a reflection of the
deep respect and appreciation we hold for our musicians, whose talent and dedication are
the heartbeat of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony. We are thrilled to have secured a contract
that meets the needs of our musicians while positioning the orchestra for continued growth
and artistic excellence. This agreement is a testament to the collaborative spirit that
defines our relationship with the AFM, and we look forward to an exciting future together."
The contract ratification follows a series of constructive discussions between MSO
leadership, the musicians who make up the Players' Committee, and a representative of AFM
Local 40-543. The parties worked diligently to ensure that the agreement not only supports
the financial well-being of the musicians but also fosters a collaborative and
forward-looking environment within the orchestra.
Mary Plaine, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 40-543, praised the process and the outcome,
noting, "We are deeply appreciative of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra for their
commitment to a collaborative and supportive atmosphere, both at the bargaining table and
within the organization as a whole. This new contract is a reflection of the mutual
respect and shared goals that have guided our negotiations. It ensures that our musicians
will continue to be valued and supported as they bring their extraordinary talents to the
MSO audiences.”
The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra has long been recognized for its outstanding
contributions to the cultural life of the Delmarva Peninsula, offering a diverse range of
performances that span classical masterpieces, contemporary works, and educational
outreach programs. This new contract further solidifies the orchestra's ability to attract
and retain top-tier musicians, ensuring that it remains a cultural beacon for years to
come.
As the MSO embarks on another exciting season, audiences can look forward to a dynamic
lineup of concerts that showcase the artistry and passion of its musicians. From timeless
symphonic works to innovative newer compositions, the orchestra remains committed to
enriching the cultural fabric of the communities it serves. Further information about the
MSO can be found at https://midatlanticsymphony.org.
Congratulations to the MSO Players’ Committee, who did the heavy lifting — surveying the
orchestra, preparing the proposals, representing their colleagues at the bargaining table
—Nick Mazziott, Kimberly McCollum, Anne Nye, Cameron Raecke, and Chair Luis Engelke.
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Please Remember to Pay Your Local 40-543 Membership Dues
A musician who is hired to work for an employer who has a collective bargaining agreement
with Local 40-543 is required to be a member in good standing with The Musicians'
Association of Metropolitan Baltimore as long as they work for that employer. Employers
who have contracts with Local 40-543 are the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore
Center Stage, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Everyman Theatre,
Hippodrome/Broadway Across America, and now the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.
In order to be a member in good standing of Local 40-543, a musician's membership dues
must be current. A member is suspended when their dues are unpaid for three months and
expelled when their dues remain unpaid for six months. Please keep your dues current
before our late fees and reinstatement fees.
Annual dues are $170 for a Regular Member, $76 for a Life Member and $70 for an Inactive
Life Member. If a musician prefers to pay their dues quarterly, those amounts are $45 for
a Regular Member, $21 for a Life Member and $19 for an Inactive Life Member.
In order to qualify as a Life Member, a musician must be 65 years of age AND be a member
of Local 40-543 for 35 consecutive years.
Annual or quarterly dues can be paid by check or through the Local's website. If paying by
check, please make the check payable to "Local 40-543 AFM" and send it to Local 40-543
AFM, 1055 Taylor Avenue #218, Baltimore, MD 21286. Annual or quarterly dues can also be
paid through the Local's website with a credit card. Another option
is to have automatic payment of dues made through a bank account.
There is a service fee charged for paying dues online. The service fee is currently 4.5%.
If a musician works under one of the collective bargaining agreements listed above, the
employer deducts work dues of 2.5% from wages and remits the work dues to Local 40-543.
Most of this money stays in Baltimore to help Local 40-543 provide services to its
members; a percentage is passed on to the Federation in New York.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO TEMPO
When paying annual or quarterly dues, please consider sending some additional money and
making a contribution to TEMPO, the legislative and political fund that helps support
members of Congress on all sides of the aisle who are friends of working musicians. TEMPO
helped get the legislation passed earlier this year that saved the AFM-Employers' Pension
Fund, and TEMPO is now working to support the American Music Fairness Act, which will, in
part, ensure that performers are compensated when their songs are played on terrestrial
radio. Contributions to TEMPO are not tax deductible.
If you are paying your dues by check, please consider sending an additional $10, $20, or
$30 for TEMPO along with your dues. If you are paying your dues online, please do so here:
>https://www.afm.org/what-we-are-doing/tempo/.
And if you have any questions. . . .
Please call the office at 410-337-7277 or send an email to .
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Local 40-543 Office Hours
Local 40-543's office is staffed on Mondays and Tuesdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The
office phone number is 410-337-7277 and messages can be left on the answering machine if
there is no one in the office to take your call. Emails may be sent to .
In an emergency, you may contact Secretary-Treasurer Mary Plaine directly at
local40543@gmail.com or through phone/text at 443-604-4985.
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The AFM has been promoting and protecting professional musicians for over 110 years. Local 40-543 has been serving Baltimore, MD and area musicians since 1903 and continues to be an effective advocate for musicians' rights in the workplace (be that a nightclub, a symphony stage, in a recording studio, or on tour). The AFM and Local 4-543 protect the recorded works musicians produce from being exploited, and protect our members' live performances by providing several types of benefit programs that help them to build successful careers.
Members of Local 40-543 of the AFM are secure in knowing that their organization is actively lobbying to promote legislation and public awareness that protects musicians' interests, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the recording industry, motion picture industry, jingle industry, TV networks, National Public TV and Radio, and providing excellent wages and working conditions for its members.
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