The following provisions shall apply to all work unless otherwise stated.


A two-hour rehearsal minimum shall apply except when the rehearsal occurs immediately prior to the performance, in which case a one-hour minimum shall apply. When a rehearsal is held immediately prior to performance, the elapsed time between the end of rehearsal and the beginning of performance cannot be more than one hour or less than fifteen minutes. Rehearsal Intermission – Intermissions are to be scheduled at rehearsals in the aggregate amount of TEN (10) MINUTES each hour. Preferably, intermissions are to be scheduled at the end of each hour. If problems of production interfere with the scheduling of intermissions, then the contractor or leader should ensure that the proper amount of intermission is granted during the rehearsal service.


When a call is made for overtime, a Sideperson is required to perform one hour beyond time originally contracted at the overtime rate. If a call is made to play beyond the one-hour overtime, the Sideperson has the option of accepting or rejecting the call.


Fees are applicable for rehearsals and performances on each instrument beyond the principal instrument for which a member has been engaged. The playing of additional mallet or keyboards instruments such as timpani, orchestra bells, vibes, chimes, etc. IS considered doubling.


Scale plus 50% is to be paid for the following holidays: Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

NEW YEAR’S EVE – Double the applicable scale for Sideperson and leader. When New Year’s Eve falls on Sunday, double scale shall apply on Saturday, December 30, and Sunday, December 31 on Single Engagements.


Traveling engagements are defined as those engagements performed outside Dallas, Denton, Johnson, Hood, Parker, Tarrant, and Wise counties. The minimum payment for all traveling engagements shall be at least the applicable, four-hour wage scale of either Local 72-147 or the Local in whose jurisdiction the engagement is being played, whichever is greater. TRANSPORTATION CHARGES, TRAVEL-TIME, SALARY, PER DIEM, AND LODGING shall be included whenever applicable.

1)                  TRANSPORTATION CHARGES

The leader of a traveling orchestra shall be required to furnish roundtrip transportation for the members of the orchestra. If any member of the orchestra, at the leader’s request, is required to drive his/her vehicle, then he/she shall be compensated at the rate of 6 cents ($.06) per mile per member transported, with a minimum payment of 45 cents ($.45) per mile, or the current IRS rate, whichever is greater.

2)                  TRAVEL TIME SALARY

Fifteen cents ($.15) per mile computed each way is to be paid each musician including the leader for engagements performed outside Dallas, Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker, Tarrant and Wise counties. The mileage chart shown elsewhere in this Section is the basis for Travel Time Salary compensation. AAA city-to-city mileage should be used for determining Travel Time Salary for engagements performed in other locations. When computing mileage, Arlington, Texas is to be the point of origin.


Abilene 167 Lubbock/Reese AFB 305
Amarillo 364 Midland 313
Austin 189 Odessa 330
Big Spring 274 Oklahoma City, OK 222
Breckenridge 97 San Angelo 235
Bridgeport 74 San Antonio 282
Brownwood 142 Shreveport, LA 237
Corpus Christi 375 Stephenville 85
El Paso 600 Tyler 117
Houston 255 Waco 101
Killeen/Fort Hood 156 Wichita Falls 124
Lawton, OK/Fort Sill 187

4)                  PER DIEM AND LODGING (effective September 1, 2008)

The following per diem shall be paid to each musician for each traveling engagement, as applicable:

Breakfast $12.00
Lunch $15.00
Dinner $20.00
Lodging  GSA Rate*

*Call the Local 72-147 office for government standard reimbursement rate for lodging for each city.

BREAKFAST ALLOWANCE shall be paid when the scheduled departure time from the point of origin is before 9:00 AM, or when the scheduled return to the point of origin is after 9:00 AM.

LUNCH ALLOWANCE shall be paid when the scheduled departure time from the point of origin is before 12:30 PM, or when the scheduled return to the point of origin is after 12:30 PM.

DINNER ALLOWANCE shall be paid when the scheduled departure time from the point of origin is before 5:00 PM, or when the scheduled return to the point of origin is after 5:00 PM.

LODGING ALLOWANCE shall be paid each musician for any overnight stay, except when first class lodging is furnished. A separate bed shall be provided for each musician.

F.    WAGE SCALE MINIMUMS FOR LEADER – Shows, Single Engagements and Public Ballroom

Leader – Sideperson scale plus 100%

Sub-leader – Sideperson scale plus 100%

When two or more musicians are engaged, one shall be designated as leader and receive leader’s fee. This practice shall apply to all engagement categories unless specifically stated otherwise. Leaders are to pay Sidepersons upon completion of the engagement. If a leader has received payment for an engagement and does not pay the Sidepersons within seven (7) days of the engagement, the leader shall then pay an automatic tardy fee of $5.00 to each Sideperson.

When paying members for services rendered, leader/contractors are required to furnish the member with a statement indicating the date of each engagement, the gross amount earned, and the purpose and amounts of each deduction.

Sub-leaders are not required to furnish the library and stands, nor to assume bookkeeping and payroll responsibilities.


Leaders and Sidepersons engaged as substitutes to perform any portion of a single engagement shall receive at least the applicable wage scale minimum for such engagement.

A Sideperson cannot send a sub for all or any part of a performance for which s/he has been engaged without the permission of the leader. When permission is given by the leader, the sub must be acceptable to the leader.


A Sideperson engaged to perform a single engagement cannot be disengaged, nor can a Sideperson cancel an engagement for the purpose of taking another engagement; however, engagement may be canceled by mutual agreement between the leader and the Sideperson.

For all steady engagements, agreements between leaders and Sidepersons may be canceled by either party by giving two (2) weeks written notice.


For every engagement, a charge equal to that of a Sideperson must be included in the purchaser’s contract price and paid to each vocalist. Contracts or engagement reports submitted to Local 72-147 must include the name of each vocalist performing the engagement.


Without becoming party to the AFM’s Booking Agent Agreement, AFM members may act as booking agents (A) for engagements to be performed within the jurisdiction of the local in which they hold membership and reside and (B) if such activity is incidental and not a continuing practice, for engagements to be performed outside the jurisdiction of such local.

1)                  RATES OF COMMISSION

SINGLE ENGAGEMENTS (one-nighters, different purchasers, different locations) a maximum of 20% of the gross contract price.

STEADY ENGAGEMENTS (two or more consecutive days per week) a maximum of 15% of the gross contract price.

PERSONAL MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS negotiated between signatory booking agents and AFM members allow for an ADDITIONAL commission payment of 5% of the gross contract price.

IN NO EVENT, HOWEVER, shall the payment of any such commission for any engagement result in the AFM member retaining less than the applicable minimum scale of the local having jurisdiction over the engagement.