Standing together, you have sent over 10,000 individual letters to our Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener and Assembly Budget Chair Jesse Gabriel. These continue to be the key elected officials in the next phase of our fight, and these letters are critical to have your voices heard.
This week, we achieved a major milestone in our fight, but we are not done yet. Continue reading
A Message from AFM International President Tino GagliardiFor the past several months, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has lobbied on behalf of musicians regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2025-2026 Budget. For the first time, the AFM has taken a strong, proactive position to ensure we are heard in Sacramento. With thanks to Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) President Stephanie O’Keefe and AFM local leaders up and down the state, we have been successful. Our union now has a seat at the table among the other arts and entertainment unions and guilds. Continue reading
On the afternoon of June 4, SB 630 passed the Senate Floor 34 YES 1 NO, and that evening AB 11380 passed the Assembly floor 70 YES 1 NO.
Our fight continues to MODERNIZE and advocate for the inclusion of the EXPANSION by way of the Governor’s proposed budget.
WHAT CAN YOU DO RIGHT NOW?
1. 📝 Take 2 minutes to submit a letter to key elected officials through our re-launched campaign to ‘Keep California Rolling: Reel Jobs Need Real Action Now!” – send your letter
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We are in the most critical moment of our fight to expand and modernize our California film and television jobs program.
Simply put, we will need the voices of every single member, small business, family members, friends and colleagues to get this across the finish lines in the coming week. The toughest part of this fight remains in front of us over the next two weeks. Continue reading
Photo by Christian Castro/Teamsters Joint Council // Entertainment Union Coalition Lobby Day at the California State Capitol, April 22, 2025.
Big updates from Sacramento: AB 1138 & SB 630 successfully passed both committee hearings in Sacramento the week of April 21, 2025, and on April 28 the final vote from the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee was 6-1 in favor of passing AB 1138 out of the Committee and onto Appropriations (with Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who represents north and east San Diego County, being the expected lone no vote). Watch the Assembly Revenue and Tax Committee Hearing here.
In the end, we saw our bill move out of committee, which means we are one step closer in the process of modernizing our Film and Television Jobs Program. Continue reading
AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe (pictured center) with San Francisco AFM Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare (left) and President Kale Cumings (right) at a Joint Hearing meeting in the State Capitol on March 26, 2025 as part of the ntertainment Union Coalition.
On March 26, 2025, the Entertainment Union Coalition again traveled to Sacramento to advocate on behalf of the California Film & Television Jobs Program at a Senate Revenue and Tax Budget Subcommittee. Our own AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe and AFM Local 6 President Kale Cumings and Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare joined close to 100 members of the Entertainment Union Coalition to show our support for the expansion of this program from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading
This week, we traveled to Sacramento with over 100 entertainment union and guild members, all part of the Entertainment Union Coalition, to advocate for increased film and TV jobs across our state.
On March 4, we attended an Assembly Budget Subcommittee Hearing that focused on bringing production back to California through the Governor’s proposed expansion of the current incentive program, increasing funding from $330 million annually to $750 million annually. Continue reading
The Entertainment Union Coalition — a multi-union alliance dedicated to advocating for members in the entertainment industry on public policy issues in California — officially launched the ‘Keep California Rolling’ campaign on February 27 with a misison to protect, preserve and create jobs in the film and television industry throughout the state.
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, represented by AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe, has a seat on the board of this important coalition along with the California IATSE Council, Directors Guild of America, LiUNA! Local 724, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters Local 399, and Writers Guild of America West, collectively representing over 165,000 members who live and work in California’s entertainment industry.
Monday, February 10, 2025 – The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada announces its membership in the Entertainment Union Coalition of California. The EUC is comprised of major entertainment unions, including the California IATSE Council, Directors Guild of America, LiUNA! Local 724, SAG-AFTRA, and Teamsters Local 399. (Update: Since this original post, WGA West has also joined the EUC.) Continue reading
LOS ANGELES, CA (June 13, 2017) — As California suffers an exodus of film and television music jobs, musicians are battling offshoring head-on with a new bill that would boost the state tax credit for foreign productions.
AB 1300, recently introduced by Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon, would bring the success of the California Film & TV Tax Credit Program to musicians and the scores that are an integral part of every motion picture and TV project. Continue reading