Tell the Record Labels to Negotiate a Fair Contract for AFTRA Recording Artists and Singers

The major record labels want to strip or reduce benefits to recording artists and keep singers from being paid for digital distributions.

In current negotiations on the AFTRA Sound Recordings Code, the international conglomerates that control the music industry refuse to budge off their hardline position on three critical issues. Here's what the record labels want:

1. No more health benefits for recording artists, or at the very least, a reduction in basic benefits.
2. Group recording artists would continue to be paid as if they are one artist for health and pension credits.
3. Background singers cut out of monies from digital distributions.

The major record labels need to hear from you right now. Tell them that their proposals are totally unacceptable.

Sign the petition today to tell the record labels to negotiate a fair contract for all recording artists and singers!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

TO THE MAJOR RECORD LABELS:

AFTRA and representatives of the record labels are currently in negotiations for a new contract (the AFTRA Sound Recordings Code) for singers -- both royalty artists and session singers -- on your recordings.

-- The current AFTRA Code provides basic health benefits to those of us vocalists who are signed to your rosters. Your negotiators have proposed that our health benefits be reduced or eliminated altogether.

-- Those of us who belong to groups of two or more artists may bring in millions of dollars to your label, yet we receive pension credits on a fraction of our earnings. A label's shipping clerk likely earns a better pension that those who make your music. Does this seem a fair way to provide retirement security for the very people whose talents fuel your label's business?

-- In this new age of digital distribution, older recordings are finding new popularity through subscription services, downloads, ringtones and ringbacks. Background singers whose voices are heard on these recordings should share in these new sources of revenue; just like everyone else who contributes to the music you sell. Your label's representatives have proposed that background singers can only share in revenues from digital distributions under a Byzantine structure designed to make it virtually impossible for us to even see a dime in revenues. Additionally, they have said that background singers must be cut from any earnings that come in after 10 years from a song's original release date. Why should we be cut off after 10 years? We deserve to share in the success of this new technology as do other industry partners and yourselves.

The total cost of our union's proposals to the entire recording industry -- which would spread benefits and protection to thousands of artists seeking fair treatment -- is a small fraction of what a single label currently spends on the promotion of one new recording artist or what a single label might pay in a few executive bonuses. We understand that piracy and the decline in hard product sales are affecting us all, but we also understand as digital businesses grow, it is only fair that we -- as the artist who make your businesses viable -- have a fair share in the future, and fair health and pension security.

As AFTRA recording artists and singers, our talent is the product that makes your business. We call on you to negotiate a FAIR contract that:

1. Maintains decent health insurance benefits for your roster artists.

2. Rectifies the labels' discriminatory structure that prevents group artists from earning decent pensions

3. Recognizes that session singers should have a fair share of the revenues from digital distributions.

Signed by:

Campaign Launched:
August 03, 2007