Since 2017 I have been the Secretary-Treasurer of Local 99 in Portland, Oregon; during that time I have been our delegate to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, and I now represent Local 99 on the General Board of the Oregon AFL-CIO. I know we will get further arm-in-arm with our siblings in the labor movement. We must show up for their struggles if we expect them to show up for ours, and our presence on their picket lines will remind them what they too often forget: musicians are workers too. If elected, I’ll work with our other delegates on a resolution demanding AFL-CIO-endorsed candidates use all-union labor in their campaign events and media. We’ve done it here in Oregon, as have our AFM siblings in Washington and Illinois (see the September 2022 International Musician). I would love to speak with you about how the AFM can be a more relevant union in the AFL-CIO. After all, we invented the gig economy—we need to be a part of that conversation. Please don’t hesitate to email or call/text me if you’d like to chat about your vision of the AFM, and how your Local interacts (or doesn’t) with the broader labor community in your area. I’d love to learn more from you.