Musicians’ Association of Seattle, American Federation of Musicians Local 76-493 records, 1890-2010

The Musicians’ Association of Seattle, American Federation of Musicians Local 76-493 is a labor union that represents musicians in Seattle; Vashon Island; Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Mason, Island, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties; and parts of Pacific County. Local 76-493 has been a labor organization since 1890 and is led by elected officers and an elected board of directors.

Musicians’ unions began in Seattle in 1890 with the creation of the Seattle chapter of the Musicians Mutual Protective Union (MMPU) Local 76. MMPU Local 76 reorganized under the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 76 in 1898 and represented white musicians. Non-white musicians were barred from joining AFM Local 76 so they formed a separate union, AFM Local 458. Tension between the two unions resulted in the international union revoking Local 458’s charter in April of 1924. However, Black and other musicians of color were able to charter a replacement union, Local 493, later that year. In 1958, Local 76 and Local 493 were amalgamated into Local 76, ending the racial segregation of musicians’ unions in Seattle. In 1994 the local’s name was changed to Local 76-493.

Previously distinct AFM locals in Western Washington became amalgamated under the jurisdiction of Local 76-493 between 1980 and 2010 including AFM Local 117, Tacoma; AFM Local 184, Everett; AFM Local 124, Olympia; AFM Local 236, Aberdeen; AFM Local 451, Bellingham; and AFM Local 461, Mount Baker/Anacortes.

Sources:

Blecha, Peter. "AFM Local 493, Seattle's 'Negro Musicians' Union,' Holds Big Benefit Bash on May 29, 1951," February 20, 2013. http://www.historylink.org/File/10330.

Musicians’ Association of Seattle, American Federation of Musicians Local 76-493. "About Us." Musicians' Association of Seattle, February 28, 2017. https://local76-493.org/about-us/.