ROPA Updates

The ROPA Leading Tone Newsletter

The Leading Tone is the official newsletter of the Regional Orchestra Players Association, a conference of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, and is published quarterly.The current issue of the Leading Tone newsletter can be found at the following link:

• Spring 2024: Volume 38, Issue 2

AFM Secures Tentative Agreement with AMPTP,
Delivering Historic Wins for Musicians

The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on the Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture contracts. The agreement, unanimously recommended by the bargaining committee, represents a significant victory for musicians working in film and television.

“This agreement represents a major win for musicians who have long been under-compensated for their work in the digital age,” declared AFM International President and Chief Negotiator Tino Gagliardi. “We have secured historic breakthroughs in streaming residuals, established critical guardrails against the misuse of AI, gained meaningful wage increases and other important gains. This agreement represents a watershed moment for the artists who create the soundtracks for countless film and TV productions.”

Full details of the contract will remain confidential until the agreement is approved for a ratification vote by the members who work under this contract.

“I want to congratulate our AFM Fair Share for Musicians bargaining unit members for their unwavering commitment to fighting for a contract that fairly compensates them for their invaluable contributions to film and TV and protects them in the ever-changing film and television industry,” Gagliardi concluded. “We were not alone in this negotiation, and we were proud to have the full backing of fellow unions: SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America, IATSE, and the Teamsters. It was yet another powerful reminder that when we have solidarity in the labor movement, we can achieve great things. We also would like to thank Carol Lombardini, president of the AMPTP, as well as the AMPTP and its member companies, for helping bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion.”

The tentative agreement will now be submitted for ratification by the members working under the Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture contracts, pending AFM International Executive Board approval.

In unity, there truly is strength.

Tino Gagliardi
AFM International President