31 James Street
St Catharines ON  L2R 5B9
Phone: 905-684-6255
Fax: 905-684-6255
Email: info@afm298.org

Dan Kozar, President and Convention Delegate
James Wilson, Vice-president and Alternate Convention Delegate
Gordon Cleland, Secretary Treasurer
Gary Roach, Executive Board
Paul Mahaffey, Executive Board
Bud Harkness, Executive Board

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in Local 298 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. The AFM is the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians. Local 298 represents the very finest professional musicians in the Canadian Niagara region.

AFM members, who number almost 100,000, perform all styles of music—alternative rock, classical, pop, gospel, jazz, country, folk, rock, big band, reggae, contemporary Christian, etc.. With such active members as Nelly Furtado, The Barenaked Ladies, Canadian Brass, Diana Krall, Lara St.John, Oscar Peterson, The Tragically Hip, and Paul Shaffer, there is a strong representation of major recording individuals and groups.

The AFM has been promoting and protecting professional musicians for over 110 years. Local 298 has been serving Niagara region musicians since 1933 and continues to be an effective advocate for musicians' rights in the workplace (be that a nightclub, a symphony stage, in a recording studio, or on tour). The AFM and Local 298 protect the recorded works musicians produce from being exploited, and protect our members live performances by providing several types of benefit programs that help them to build successful careers.

Members of Local 298 of the AFM are secure in knowing that their organization is actively lobbying to promote legislation and public awareness that protects musicians' interests, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the recording industry, motion picture industry, jingle industry, TV networks, National Public TV and Radio, and providing excellent wages and working conditions for its members.