APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP

A musician can apply for membership in the union by filling up the membership application. In addition to filling in personal information, you choose one of the 25 local branches you want to join. The same application is used in applying for membership in the unemployment fund and the sick fund. Membership applications can be found at the union office, local branches and symphony orchestra shop stewards. Students and part-time musicians cannot become members of the unemployment fund. They can join the fund later, after they have become full-time professionals. This can be done by a written notification to the union office.

Fill up the membership application carefully! Return the application the union office. It takes about 1-2 months to treat the application. Membership starts usually at the date of the signature, if the application has been returned to the union office within a reasonable time (7 days) after that. Otherwise - unless you have an acceptable cause for the delay - membership starts at the delivery date of the application. Remember to get the recommendation signatures of two members of the Musicians Union! If you have already been a member but have been dismissed due to overdue payments, you can only re-join the union after you have paid the so-called six month arrears.

If you are about to transfer to the Musicians Union from another trade union, attach a membership certificate from the previous union. Membership at another unemployment fund can be credited only if you join the unemployment fund within one (1) month after your withdrawal from the previous fund. It is not possible to transfer during unemployment. If you are a freelance-musician, deliver a certificate of employment from the month you are about to transfer the trade union.

MEMBERSHIP FEES

Employer collection

If you have a permanent employment contract with a symphony orchestra, theatre orchestra or the Finnish National Opera (orchestra, choir, ballet, office), you have to fill up a power of attorney. Power of attorneys can be found at the union office, local branches and symphony orchestra shop stewards. According to the power of attorney, employer collects the trade union membership fee directly from the salary and accounts it to the union. From the 1st of January 2012 the membership fee is 1 % of the gross salary (salary before withholding taxes) plus 10 euros per month for unemployment fund. Musicians' union and local branches receive a copy of the power of attorney from the employer.

Bank collection

If you are a part-time musician you give an estimation of your monthly earnings of musician's work in the membership application. The bill for the membership fee is sent twice a year. There are six membership fee categories for part-time musicians (AL, BL, CL, DL, EL and FL). If your salary changes, inform the union office about the change, so that we can transfer you to another membership fee category.

Membership fee categories for bank collection

Union's fees 2012

Category	fee/month	musician salary/month
FL	31,00	over 2.900
EL	27,00	2.500 – 2.899
DL	23,00	2.100 – 2.499
CL	19,00	1.700 – 2.099
BL	15,00	1.300 – 1.699
AL	12,00	under 1.300
OY	7,00
TY	50,00/year

Example: Musician, whose monthly earnings of musician's work (before withholding taxes) is between EUR 1.300 – 1.699, belongs to membership category BL.


If you are a freelance-musician, you give an estimation of your monthly salary in the membership application. A full-time member has to be permanently employed as a musician or singer. Weekly working time has to be approximately 18 hours.

Sectors with exceptional working hours arrangements have their own regulations concerning the meeting of weekly working hours requirements. Examples of such sectors include teaching, housekeeping under an employment contract, and artistic, creative and public performance work. The working hours of creative and performance work are treated as follows: in employment relationship of less than one month in duration where the share of creative or performing work is decisive, time in employment can be deemed to include each calendar week in which the taxable income received from the work by the person during a review period of one month was at least EUR 1103.

The membership fee is based on the estimated salary. The bill for the membership fee is sent quarterly. There are six membership fee categories for full-time musicians (AY, BY, CY, DY, EY and FY). If your salary changes, inform the union office about the change, so that we can transfer you to another membership fee category.

Union and unemployment fund's fees 2012

Category	fee/month	salary/month
FY	41,00	over 2.900
EY	37,00	2.500 – 2.899
DY	33,00	2.100 – 2.499
CY	29,00	1.700 – 2.099
BY	25,00	1.300 – 1.699
AY	22,00	under 1.300

Example: Musician, whose gross salary (before withholding taxes) is between EUR 1.700 – 2.099, belongs to membership category CY.

OY-category for full-time students

Membership fee for all full-time students is 7 euros per month. Student membership fee for students does not include the unemployment fund. Student members get all other union benefits. These include legal help, free lending of the sound equipment, union insurance and the monthly Muusikko magazine. Students are members of the sick fund (after the normal qualifying period).

TY-category for members who have retired

Membership fee in the TY-category is 50 euros per year. The fee does not include fees for the sick fund nor the unemployment fund. Members in this category are typically either on retirement or disability pension. Members in this category can receive legal aid only based on a decision by the union board. Membership fee is collected once a year.

MOVING

If a member moves permanently to another city, he/she should also transfer to the relevant local branch. Moving should be reported to the union office.
If a member transfers to another trade union, he/she has to organize the transfer him/herself. The same applies if a member wants to transfer to the Musicians Union from another trade union.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR NAME

Changes of address or name have to be reported both to the union office and to the unemployment fund office.

EXEMPTION FROM THE MEMBERSHIP FEE

A member can apply for an exemption from the membership fee during the time he/she is on maternity or family leave or in the military service. In each case the exemption can last for a maximum of one year. The union board can also grant the exemption due to a long illness or disability to work. In these cases the exemption can last for a maximum of one year and can be granted to the unsalaried period.

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE MEMBERSHIP

Resignation from the union and unemployment fund's membership has to be announced by a written notification to the union office. Resignation is valid at the end of the month the notification has been done.

Members whose membership fee is collected by the employer (permanently employed orchestra musicians) should make sure that their withdrawal has been completed. These members also fill up a cancellation of the power of attorney. To end the membership, the musician also has to make a written notification to the union office. In many cases a former orchestra musician continues the membership in AL category.

DISMISSAL

A member can be dismissed due to unpaid membership fees. If the fees have not been paid for a period of six months, the member is dismissed according to the union rules.