Juho Viljanen works at the Finnish Musicians’ Union as a Shop Steward for Freelancers, overseeing freelance work agreements. Additionally, he works on recommendations for freelancers, such as club and restaurant gig wage tariffs, as well as streaming and recording tariffs.
Juho is a seasoned musician who has been with the union for over a decade. Both roles have given him a broad understanding of musician contract matters. Juho provides guidance and assistance to union members on work and contract-related issues, as well as other situations encountered in a musician’s work.
Juho sees his role as a musician and a union representative complementing each other – he acts as a messenger between the music field and the union.
“I receive firsthand information from musicians about issues sparking discussion in the workplace. I can then convey this information to the union and thereby advance industry advocacy. Conversely, my work at the union is beneficial when working as a musician because I can influence matters when needed and convey information directly from the musician’s working life.”
Juho has been involved with the Music Promotion Foundation (MES) for a long time and currently serves as the chairman of the MES live music support committee and as a member of the recording support committee. Additionally, he is a deputy member of the boards of Gramex and the ESES foundation, a member of the board of Livelaboratorio Tampere Oy, and a member of the delegation of Luovat ry, which promotes the operating conditions of the creative industry.