Tag Archives: Local 47

Marl Young: The groundbreaking legacy of a civil rights leader

Rhythm Club President, Marl – pictured with Musicians’ Club Secretary Maury Paul (left), NAACP Secretary Lester Bailey (standing, center) and Rhythm Club Secretary Estelle Edson (right) – signs the final document transferring Local 767 Rhythm Club assets to the Local 47 Musicians’ Club of Los Angeles in March of 1953, marking the final step in the amalgamation of the two Locals. (Photo: AFM Local 47 Overture archives)

Throughout his esteemed career, Marl Young was known for breaking ground. A civil rights leader within the American Federation of Musicians, he was instrumental in the historic merger of the former all-black Local 767 and all-white Local 47 in the 1950s, which set the precedent for desegregation within the entire musicians union of the United States and Canada. In 1970 he became the first black music director of a major network television series, “Here’s Lucy.” Young served as a longtime director of the Los Angeles musicians union and remained an activist until his retirement in January 2009. He died on April 29, 2009, at age 92. Continue reading →

Local 47 appoints new Finance Committee

The following AFM Local 47 rank-and-file members have been appointed by the Executive Board to serve on the new Finance Committee: Dennis Dreith, Neil Stubenhaus, John Mitchell, Tom Rizzo, Phil Yao.

Working with the Local 47 Trustees and our CPA, this committee will provide rank-and-file input from you, the members, to formulate policies and strategize for investing the surplus monies resulting from the sale of the 817 Vine Street property. We thank these members for their dedication and willingness to serve.

AFM Local 47 Announces New Agreement Reached With Amazon’s ‘Transparent’

Producers at Picrow agree to hold musicians to fair industry standard

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 11, 2016) — The American Federation of Musicians Local 47 is pleased to report that an agreement has been reached with the producers of Amazon original series “Transparent” to cover musicians working on the show under a union contract.

Producers at Picrow swiftly agreed to sign on to the AFM television and new media agreement after musicians from the Los Angeles musicians union spoke out publicly late last month asking for “Pride for Musicians,” pointing out the unequal treatment of musicians who were not covered under a labor contract unlike all the actors, writers, directors, crew and other workers. Continue reading →