With Support from JLC Western Region, AFM Local 47 Signs New Agreement Reached With Amazon's "˜Transparent'
JLC Western Region Executive Director Leslie Gersicoff joined AFM Local 47 musicians and union officials March 29th for an early morning leafleting outside a "Transparent" desert location shoot in Pearblossom, CA. Less than two weeks later, the show producers signed on to cover musicians under an AFM contract less than two weeks later. Photo by AFM Local 47 Communications Director Linda A. Rapka
April 11, 2016: Los Angeles, CA - "Transparent" is an Amazon show produced by Picrow. For some time, AFM 47 musicians, union officials, and their supporters in the larger community were calling for Picrow to treat musicians fairly, specifically, asking Picrow to treat them the same as it treats the other working people on the show. Before today's announcement that the agreement had been reached, while the actors, writers, directors and crew received union wages, benefits and protections, musicians were not covered by a labor contract.
Producers at Picrow agreed to sign on to the AFM television and new media agreement after musicians from the Los Angeles musicians union and their community allies spoke out publicly late last month, 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.
The new contract covers the employment of professional musicians, arrangers, copyists, leaders, conductors, and sideline musicians, guaranteeing they will receive fair wages, benefits, health care, pension, and other union protections.
"We thank Transparent producers at Picrow for stepping up to treat musicians as equal workers," says AFM Local 47 President John Acosta. "Musicians contribute as much to a production as all other workers, and we are happy that those working on the series will receive fair treatment, dignity and respect in the workplace."