The Musicians' Association of Victoria and the Islands, Local 247 is a branch of the Canadian Federation of Musicians, more commonly referred to as the CFM. Local 247 seeks to improve working conditions for musicians through collective bargaining, providing services, and monitoring government activities. Our organization is commonly referred to as Local 247, the Local, the Association, or the Musicians' Association. Local 247 is also one of approximately 340 locals (27 in Canada) belonging to the American Federation of Musicians (the AFM. ), representing nearly 110,000 musicians and forming the largest entertainment industry union in North America. Local 247 was chartered in 1902, eight years after the creation of the American Federation of Musicians. As a local we organize professional musicians in our jurisdiction (which includes all of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands), establish minimum working conditions and wage scales for all types of musical employment, and provide a number of services and group benefits to our members. At the international level, the CFM and AFM negotiate collective bargaining agreements for network radio and TV (for example, the CBC) videotape, educational TV, music videos, motion pictures, and other electronic media. In Canada, we have an office in Toronto which deals specifically with Canadian matters. more... See more text