Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Local 298…
…of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. The AFM is the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians. Local 298 represents the very finest professional musicians in the Canadian Niagara region.
AFM members, who number over 60,000, perform all styles of musicāalternative rock, classical, pop, gospel, jazz, country, folk, rock, big band, reggae, contemporary Christian, etc.. With such active members as Nelly Furtado, The Barenaked Ladies, Canadian Brass, Diana Krall, Lara St. John, Oscar Peterson, The Tragically Hip, and Paul Shaffer, there is a strong representation of major recording individuals and groups.
The AFM has been promoting and protecting professional musicians for over 120 years. Local 298 has been serving Niagara region musicians since 1933 and continues to be an effective advocate for musiciansā rights in the workplace (be that a nightclub, a symphony stage, in a recording studio, or on tour). The AFM and Local 298 protect the recorded works musicians produce from being exploited, and protect our members live performances by providing several types of benefit programs that help them to build successful careers.
Members of Local 298 of the AFM are secure in knowing that their organization is actively lobbying to promote legislation and public awareness that protects musiciansā interests, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the recording industry, motion picture industry, jingle industry, TV networks, National Public TV and Radio, and providing excellent wages and working conditions for its members.
Located at 8234 Lamont Avenue in Niagara Falls, the NRMA represents musicians in all of Regional Niagara except for a line drawn north of Regional Road 73 south of Spring Creek Road and east to Regional Road 22 and north to Lake Ontario, the area north of this line belongs to Local 293, Hamilton Musicians Guild.
Current Local 298 Officers
Rick Richardson – Acting President
Gary Evans – Vice President
Rick Richardson – Secretary Treasurer
Jerry Salfi – Executive Board