BJ Levy, President of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his Local’s unique history and how it was impacted by segregation. He also spoke about the 1942-44 Recording Strike and the union's efforts to organize hip-hop artists and electric dance music (EDM) disc jockeys (DJs).
CFM Local 10-208 has a unique history and Local number. Levy explained what led two formerly segregated Locals -- Local 10 and Local 208 -- to merge in 1967 and hyphenate their Local number. Each Local has a storied past, and several historical events occurred before and after becoming a united union, Levy said.
One such event was the 1942-44 Recording Strike, which started due to disputes over royalty payments. The strike began at midnight on July 31, 1942, as union musicians could not perform for any commercial recording company. Levy explained that union musicians could still perform on radio programs, as at that time radio was not recorded media. He added that this strike remains the longest in the history of the entertainment industry.
Finally, Levy discussed the CFM's efforts to bring equity and representation to hip-hop artists and house DJs. He explained the need to give these artists and DJs the ability to make enough money to support their families. Levy said that the history of both groups ties into Chicago’s rich history with both the black and LGBTQ communities. He outlined the rich history of both groups of musicians and the impact they have made on Chicago communities.
Please listen to the show above to learn about CFM Local 10-208.