Ballots for the election of members to the Board of Governors are in the mail. Please take the time to fill out your ballot and return it to the National Office. Remember, AGMA is run by the members for the members, so voting for the candidates of your choice is your opportunity to have a voice in how the business of the union is conducted. Only areas that have open seats or candidates running for a Board seat will receive an election ballot. However, everyone will receive a referenda ballot. On this ballot you are asked to vote on two separate items, which, if passed, will be effective January 1, 2018. The first is an increase in Initiation Fees, which have not been increased since 1985, and the second is an increase is basic dues, w... Read More -->

On the eve of Donald Trump’s Inauguration, The Hill newspaper reported that the President's Transition Team recommended that the then President-elect eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. With so much change coming so quickly, arts advocates need to organize. We need to raise our collective and individual voices with precision and in a unified manner. The new Administration and Congress will be moving quickly, so we need to educate people and act NOW. Did you know that, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and cultural industries contribute 4.23 percent, or $704.2 billio... Read More -->

The Sarasota Ballet, their dancers and AGMA enter negotiations for a labor contract. The Sarasota Ballet announces today that the Company joins the top national ballet companies in America by voting to join the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). AGMA represents dancers, singers and stage production staff in dance and opera companies throughout the United States. A secret ballot vote was held based upon mutual agreement between The Sarasota Ballet and AGMA. Based on the results of the election, The Sarasota Ballet has recognized AGMA as the exclusive bargaining representative of the dancers. Negotiations for a first contract are expected to commence within a couple of weeks. “This is an understandable step in the growth of The Sar... Read More -->