The Connecticut Valley Federation of Musicians was formed on January 1, 2009, through the merger of Local 234 (New Haven), with Local 400 (Hartford). In January, 2010, we welcomed Local 499, Middletown into the fold. We are now the largest AFM Local in Connecticut, with over 500 members. Our mergers will allow us to provide more and better services to our members.
The Greater New Haven Federation of Musicians, Local 234, AFM, was organized on September 22, 1901 as the New Haven Musical Protective Association and was affiliated as such with the American Federation of Musicians on September 4,1902. Its goals at that time were “to unite the Instrumental portion of the Musical Profession, the establishment and maintenance of a minimum wage scale, the advancement and conservation of the individual and collective interests of its Members, the enforcement of good faith and fair dealing by and between its Members, and the promotion and stimulation of a true fraternal feeling among the Membership as a whole”.
That mission remains unchanged to this day, though we now include vocalists among our members. In addition, we administer CBAs (contracts) with the Hartford Symphony, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra New England, Goodspeed Opera House, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts and Connecticut Concert Opera.
We also assist in funding live music performances within our jurisdiction through the Music Performance Fund (MPF, formerly the MPTF or Music Performance Trust Fund). Our disabled members in financial need are offered assistance through the Lester Petrillo Memorial Fund. All members of Local 400 have access to a wide variety of professional services offered through the AFM, including legal help, contract administration, liability insurance for performers, instrument insurance, pension funds, a subscription to the IM (International Musician, the monthly official journal of the AFM), loan programs, credit card programs and much more.