Events 2015

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56. Seattle City Council hearing 5/13 on Fair Trade in Music

Seattle-area musicians are organizing for fair treatment.

Fair Trade Music is an effort by musicians to establish fair standards for their work in music clubs. It’s a modest first step. Twenty area venues have signed a Fair Trade Music pledge, promising to provide written performance agreements with transparency and accountability, and to resolve disagreements that may arise.

But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Musicians face obstacles that other workers never do. They may have to “pay to play” or play for “zero minus expenses” – in other words, they bring the audience into a club, but the club has no obligation to pay the musicians anything. Often working without a written agreement of any kind, musicians may reach the end of the evening and find that they’re being paid less than agreed upon – or nothing at all.

Fair Trade Music, backed by American Federation of Musicians Local 76-493, is working to change the culture in Seattle’s music scene – to make Seattle’s claim to be a “Music City” real. And they’re getting support from not only the music community, but the larger community, as well.

Seattle City Councilmembers, Mayor Murray and the Director of the City Office of Film + Music have joined musicians, unions and labor leaders and others in the music industry in signing statements of support for Fair Trade Music goals. And tomorrow, the City Council’s Finance and Culture Committee will hold a brief public hearing on a resolution, sponsored by Councilmembers Mike O’Brien and Nick Licata, to declare May 20 th “Fair Trade Music Day” in Seattle. There will be testimony from area musician-activists, as well as Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson.

If you can, please join us:

City Council hearing on
Fair Trade Music Day in Seattle
Wednesday, May 13th – 2:00 pm
Seattle City Hall
600 4th Avenue
City Council Chambers