UMAW started as an idea on a zoom call, an idea coming from a bunch of musicians, most of whom did not have prior organizing experience, but who believed that by coming together we could change the industry for the better.
We believe that the only way to transform music is to collectively take resources and power from the few wealthy companies that dictate our industry. We want a music industry that is equitable and just. One that pays fairly for the labor of artists and musicians, that can push back against white supremacy rather than reflect it, that builds safe spaces, and provides health care. The industry that we strive to build together is one that is democratically decided by the working class people that make up that heart of what the music industry is.
UMAW intends to build solidarity across gender, race, and border. We envision a world where we don’t have to limit our creative outputs to exchange, where social programs like Universal Basic Income, Green New Deal, and Medicare for All allow us to flourish and be creative without the yoke of capital. Until that day though, we will fight tooth and nail to protect our value, pressuring companies and our industry to pay us fairly and treat us justly
