Welcome to Bulletin Board, Local 802’s new blog, intended to contribute news and information relating to issues currently concerning our membership. Bulletin Board will be a space in which we will share information about topics that directly affect us and our careers, from workplace concerns and industry challenges, to legislation, pension, and health care information.

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The LS-1 deadline is January 16th. But…what is an LS-1 contract?

Many musicians engage in solo work that is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement (example: solo live engagements or private studio teaching.) To include that work in an individual’s eligibility for pension and health insurance, that person may file an LS-1 contract with Local 802. This becomes an essential tool for musicians who wish to make health or pension contributions, because both the AFM Pension Fund and the Local 802 Musicians Health Fund are required by law to have a collective bargaining agreement with an employer in order to accept benefit contributions.

In essence, LS-1s are small contracts that allow employers to make health or pension contributions to you on small jobs or single engagements, including music lessons and other teaching work. Because Musicians Health Fund contributions are capped at 15% of gross wages, musicians need to report earnings of about $13,335 from covered work for any 6 month period to qualify for Plan A. This makes the LS-1 contract extremely useful for musicians who want to bolster their total contribution so that they can meet the qualification threshold, and so that they can make pension contributions too.

No media work, music prep, or Music Director work can be covered under an LS-1. A separate LS-1 must be filed for each employer (i.e. one student=one employer) and work dues must be included when filing an LS-1. You must be a member in good standing (with all paid up dues) and the deadline for the benefit period beginning March 1, 2018 is January 16, 2018.

The LS-1 contract forms can be found on the “Contracts” page of our website, under “Solo Performance and Private Teaching (LS-1 Contract).” Find a guide to filling out LS-1 contracts here.

Please contact us BEFORE filing an LS-1 to ensure the LS-1 form is filled out correctly and with any questions. All LS-1 inquiries can be emailed via the form below.