American Federation of Musicians
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| Full name | American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada |
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| Founded | October 19, 1896 |
| Members | 75,542 (2016) |
| Affiliation | AFL–CIO, CLC |
| Key people | Raymond M. Hair Jr., president |
| Office location | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Country | United States, Canada |
| Website | afm.org |
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM/AFofM) is a labor union representing professional musicians in the United States and Canada. The AFM, which has its headquartered in New York City, is led by president Raymond M. Hair, Jr. Founded in Cincinnati in 1896 as the successor to the "National League of Musicians," the AFM is the largest organization in the world to represent professional musicians. They negotiate fair agreements, protect ownership of recorded music, secure benefits such as health care and pension, and lobby legislators. In the US, it is the American Federation of Musicians (AFM)—and in Canada, the Canadian Federation of Musicians/Fédération canadienne des musiciens (CFM/FCM). The AFM is affiliated with AFL–CIO, the largest federation of Unions in the United States; and the Canadian Labour Congress, the federation of unions in Canada.
The Musical Mutual Protective Union of New York became Local 301 of the American Federation of Musicians in 1902. In 1904, the local had 5,000 members, who were almost entirely German. In 1910, approximately 300 black musicians were members in the roughly 8,000-member local. The local lost its charter and was disbanded in 1921.
Among the most famous AFM actions was a ban on all commercial recording by members in 1942–44, to pressure record companies to agree to a better arrangement for paying royalties. This was sometimes called the "Petrillo ban", because James Petrillo was the newly elected head of the union. Petrillo organized a second recording ban in 1948 (from January 1 to December 14), in response to the Taft–Hartley Act.
The American Federation of Labor recognized the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) in 1896. In 1900, the American Federation of Musicians modified its name to "American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada". The AFM is now one of the most recognized labor unions in America and Canada.
In the early 1900s, record companies produced recordings and musicians profited. However, around World War I, general unemployment also affected musicians. Movies displaced some traditional entertainments, and were silent films. Because of that, the declining economy, and other factors, many musicians were laid off.
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