Union of Musicians and Allied Workers

Union of Musicians and Allied Workers
Name	Union of Musicians and Allied Workers
Founded	2020
Location	United States
Key people	Damon Krukowski, Philip Pearlman

Union of Musicians and Allied Workers. The Union of Musicians and Allied Workers is a labor union and advocacy organization founded in 2020 to represent the interests of musicians, performers, and related workers in the United States. It emerged from grassroots organizing within the independent music scene, galvanized by the economic precarity exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The union is known for its direct-action campaigns targeting major corporations in the music industry, most notably its high-profile "#JusticeAtSpotify" initiative.

History and formation

The union was formally established in mid-2020 by a coalition of musicians, including members of influential bands like Galaxie 500 and Fugazi, alongside organizers from existing labor movements. Its formation was a direct response to the catastrophic loss of income from live performance and touring during the global COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the unsustainable economics of the streaming era. Early organizing efforts were coordinated online, leveraging platforms like Instagram and Zoom to build a decentralized, national membership base. The founding principles were heavily influenced by the history of militant labor organizing within the American Federation of Musicians and the Industrial Workers of the World.

Mission and objectives

The primary mission is to build collective power to secure equitable pay, sustainable working conditions, and democratic control over the music industry for all music workers. Core objectives include demanding a minimum streaming royalty rate of one cent per stream from platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, advocating for the protection of live music venues through initiatives like the #SaveOurStages Act, and fighting for universal healthcare and rent control for artists. The union frames its work not just as a labor struggle but as a broader fight for cultural democracy against the dominance of Silicon Valley and multinational corporations.

Organizational structure

The union operates as a member-led organization with a flat, decentralized structure, eschewing a traditional top-down hierarchy with paid executives. Decision-making is conducted through working groups focused on areas like direct action, mutual aid, and political education, which report to regular general membership assemblies. Key organizational support and mentorship have come from established unions like the Office and Professional Employees International Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. This model emphasizes direct democracy and is designed to be accessible to a geographically dispersed membership across cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and Nashville.

Key campaigns and actions

Its most prominent campaign is "#JusticeAtSpotify," which organized global protests and delivered a petition with over 30,000 signatures to the company's headquarters in Stockholm and New York City, demanding transparent royalty accounting and a per-stream payment increase. Other significant actions include pressuring Bandcamp to maintain its artist-friendly fee structure following its acquisition by Epic Games, and organizing collective bargaining efforts for musicians at specific independent record labels. The union has also engaged in solidarity actions with other labor movements, such as the Starbucks Workers United campaign and the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

Membership and eligibility

Membership is open to all workers in the music ecosystem, including performing musicians, studio engineers, tour managers, music journalists, venue staff, and music teachers, regardless of their commercial success or affiliation with a record label. Dues are structured on a sliding scale to ensure accessibility, a model inspired by organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America. The union explicitly aims to center the needs of BIPOC and LGBTQ artists, who are disproportionately affected by industry inequities. Members gain access to resources such as contract review, legal workshops, and a network for mutual aid and emergency funding.

Impact and reception

The union has significantly shifted public discourse around artist compensation, placing sustained pressure on Spotify and bringing issues of streaming economics to mainstream outlets like The New York Times and Rolling Stone. It has been praised by figures like Tune-Yards and Jeff Rosenstock for creating a tangible sense of solidarity and agency within a notoriously fragmented profession. Critics, often from within the major label system, have questioned the feasibility of its demands and its decentralized structure. Nonetheless, it is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and visible new forces in cultural worker organizing since the Writers Guild of America strikes, inspiring similar nascent efforts in the United Kingdom and European Union.

Category:Labor unions in the United States Category:Musicians' labor unions Category:Organizations established in 2020