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Support Tejano Advancement In Recording
(Used By Permission)

From: American Federation of Musicians
         Organizing & Education Department
         San Antonio Office

Contact: Michael Muniz
Phone: 210-224-9688

In The Tejano Music Scene-Record Companies Are Out of Tune

Tejano music is the pride and joy of the Latino community in Texas and is enjoying increasing popularity throughout the country. But while Tejano music is one of the fastest growing sectors in Latin music, the majority of recording companies that bring you the greatest stars and finest musicians in Tejano music give our talented musicians second-rate treatment when it comes to compensating them for their work

Protection in a cutthroat Business

The vast majority of Tejano musicians don't enjoy the benefits of a union contract when recording Tejano music-even when working for companies that are affiliated with the major record companies. Only three of the Latin labels that are affiliated with major record companies and that record a substantial amount of Tejano music honor the union contract as of this date. Those labels are Arista Texas (which includes Arista Latin), BMG US Latin and Polygram Latino. Generally, Tejano musicians who record for other Latin labels that don't honor the union contract are paid substandard wages and receive no pension or health benefits. Often Tejano musicians succumb to pressure to record for free or for very little pay in order to keep their live performance work. As a result, very few of our musicians have decent incomes, pensions or any other type of financial security even after years of performing, sometimes at the top of their profession.

This situation stands in stark contrast to the status of musicians in the mainstrearn, unionized segment of the recording industry. These musicians work under an industry-wide union contract negotiated by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). The six major record companies-Sony, Capitol EMI, WEA (Warner, Elektra, Atlantic), Polygram, Universal, and BMG-have all signed the AFM Phonograph Record Labor Agreement and hundreds of mid-size and small record companies also sign that contract

The musicians covered by that union contract receive professional scale wages, Social Security, pension and health benefits and fair working conditions. Under the union contract they are also entitled to special payments, and are compensated if their recorded performance is later reused in any new medium, such as movies or TV.

Record Company Structuring

Most, if not all of the record companies that sign the union contract, or their parent or affiliated companies, have established separate labels to produce particular styles of music. Sometimes, the label is established within the company that has signed the union contract. Sony Columbia and Capitol Nashville are only two examples. In this circumstance, musicians who record for the label receive the benefits of the union contract.

In other cases, however, the label is set up as independent from the record company that signed the union contract, and that record company does not take responsibility for the label's labor relations. All of the Latin labels that are affiliated with the major record companies are set up in this way, with the notable exception of Arista Texas (including Arista Latin), BMG US Latin and Polygram Latino.

As a result of this corporate structuring, musicians recording for EMI Latin, Sony Discos, and WEA Latina do not receive the benefits of the union contract, even though these labels are all related to major record companies that do honor the union contract.

The results for Tejano musicians of this corporate structuring are all negative. For example, a musician who records at a Sony Discos session does not receive the wages, benefits or protections provided by the union contract, even though a musician who records for Sony's Columbia label is entitled to those protections. Similarly, a musician recording at an EMI Latin session in San Antonio is not protected by the union contract, even though a musician recording for Capitol Nashville is protected.

More Corporate Greed!

WHY won't the majority of the companies that produce Tejano music pay our musicians proper wages and benefits while their counterparts in Nashville and other cities honor the union contract?

WHY are the majority of Latin musicians here in Texas and across the country treated as second class citizens when their labor created over $70 million in Tejano music record revenues for these companies in 1 995?

WHY did EMI Latin President Jose Behar tell "A&R Insider" that the musical acts his company signed out of Texas "are economically not very risky"?

BECAUSE business as usual for these companies means profiting from the talents of Tejano recording musicians while paying cut-rate, substandard wages. Business is booming for these companies because the Latino community is being exploited.

SO WHO “PAYS THE PRICE”?

Our musicians, who struggle to make a living. Their families, who have to sacrifice with them while musicians performing other styles of music are earning decent wages. Our community, which is unknowingly financing this corporate greed at the expense of our musicians. If our musicians are denied decent wages here where the music is recorded, where a majority of the fans live and buy CDs and where the musicians reside, what are these companies saying to the Latino community?

Musicians On The Move

Tejano musicians are standing up for their rights and demanding that these companies do the right thing by treating musicians with dignity and respect and paying them the wages and benefits that they deserve.

STAR (Support Tejano Advancement In Recording) is a campaign for equal recording rights for Tejano musicians. Many labor, community and religious organizations, and leaders in our city are supporting the STAR campaign because they support Tejano musicians and the right of all Latino workers to organize and stand up for their civil and human rights.

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