Buffalo Musicians' Association (Buffalo, N.Y.)

In 1886, the National League of Musicians (NLM) was founded and had over 100 locals within ten years. One of these was Local 23 of Buffalo. A few years later, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) began organizing locals with the view of musicians as workers, contrary to the NLM view of musicians as artists. By 1896, members of the NLM grew dissatisfied and formed the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), which was, and still is, chartered by the AFL. In the very early days of the AFM, Buffalo's Local 23 began to discuss joining the AFM and then consequently became AFM Local 43. The NLM dissolved over the first few years of the 1900s.

From the description of Buffalo Musicians' Association Records, 1889-2009. (SUNY at Buffalo). WorldCat record id: 457799055