After nearly two years of requesting voluntary recognition, Musicians with True Concord Voices and Orchestra (TCVO) are now voting in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Election to join Tucson Federation of Musicians-American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 33. Members initially formed a Union with the AFM in Spring 2024, but TCVO’s Board of Directors has yet to do right by their Musicians and start the bargaining process. In fact, the non-profit has actively attempted to block the NLRB process that ordered a vote and spread misinformation about what Union Membership would mean. “When I go to work for an AFM orchestra, I know when I need to show up to work, I know that I’m going to be guaranteed my work year over year, I know how much I’m going to get paid, I know when I’m gonna get a break, I know how long my break is gonna be,” said Ellen Ensey, a Professional Violinist with TCVO who also plays in the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, which operates under an AFM contract. “With Non-Union orchestras, you don’t have any of that. They give you a contract that’s dictated on their terms and you kind of take it or leave it.”

Photo Courtesy Of The National AFL-CIO.