The AFM Local 802 brings together professional musicians across the United States and Canada. AFM Local 802 uses their collective voice and power through a democratic and progressive union to promote social and economic justice and oppose the forces of exploitation through union solidarity.
Tino Gagliardi was elected AFM Local 802 international president in 2023. An accomplished trumpet player with a deep-rooted performance history in New York City’s clubs, recording studios and Broadway theater pits, his commitment to the musicians’ union is further exemplified by his multiple terms as president of AFM Local 802 (New York City), from 2010 to 2018 and again in 2022.
AFM’s agreements cover live performances, feature film scores, television programs, cable television, independent films, video games, streaming music, Broadway, theater, symphonic performances and more. The International represents 70,000 musical artists.
AFM Local 802 was formed in 1896 when musicians gathered in Indianapolis to create an organization to represent “any musician who receives pay” for musical services. Soon after, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter to AFM Local 802, which by then represented 3,000 members. Since its inception more than 129 years ago, the AFM Local 802 continues to focus on safeguarding musicians’ rights in the face of artificial intelligence and declining revenue from recording and streaming services.
Both my father and I were active members of AFM Local 802. My father, Rudy Tepel, was a member of AFM Local 802 for 70 years and I was a member for 30 years. It’s more critical than ever for musicians to be represented by a union.
