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\n\tAfter negotiating a new contract with film and TV producers for the last 10 days, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), the 70,000-member union that represents musicians in orchestras and on-air performances, has \u201cnot resolved our core issues\u201d and will continue negotiations later this month, according to a statement put out Monday (Feb. 5) by Tino Gagliardi<\/strong>, the union\u2019s international president and chief negotiator.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe time is now,\u201d Gagliardi tells Billboard<\/em> over Zoom. \u201c<\/em>The business model has changed, and the way we are compensated needs to reflect that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tEchoing the Hollywood writers and actors unions, which went on strike for months in 2023 before resolving their contracts with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), the AFM identified its top issues as higher compensation, improved streaming residual payments, better healthcare and protections against artificial intelligence (AI). To the latter issue, Gagliardi said in Monday\u2019s statement that AI protections are necessary \u201cso our sound and\/or image cannot be captured or used without consent, credit, and compensation.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tGagliardi adds to Billboard<\/em>: \u201cI\u2019m going to continue to fight and we\u2019re going to continue our argument for fair treatment for musicians until we actually come to a deal. Am I confident we\u2019re going to get one? I\u2019m never confident. It\u2019s up to them to show me that they\u2019re willing to make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAMPTP reps did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n \n\tMembers of the Writers Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and other Hollywood unions have been supporting the AFM since contract negotiations began with a Jan. 22 rally<\/a> at the offices of the AMPTP in Sherman Oaks, Calif.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe writers and actors unions\u2019 2023 agreements with the AMPTP make Gagliardi hopeful for a timely AFM deal. \u201cThe solidarity in the entertainment guilds is very solid this time around,\u201d he says, \u201cunlike some of the issues we\u2019ve had in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAt the January rally, Teamsters Local 399 secretary-treasurer Lindsay Dougherty<\/strong> told a crowd of union supporters: \u201cWe learned a hard, long lesson last year that we had to be together since day one. That\u2019s going to be the difference going into this fight for the musicians, is that we\u2019re all together in this industry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tNegotiations will resume Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, according to Gagliardi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n