John,

As social distancing measures are enacted and events and projects are canceled across all sectors of the entertainment industry, the COVID-19 pandemic has become so dire for entertainment workers that it requires decisive action from our federal government. Entertainment gig workers who expected to work for a day, week, month or season on a production are finding themselves without planned wages and benefits.

The bipartisan Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) is a good start to providing relief to working people. However, the provisions on the table for emergency paid leave benefits won’t apply to displaced entertainment workers because of the requirements for days worked on a job to qualify.

Click here to tell Congress to include entertainment workers in its coronavirus relief package.

The unique nature of the entertainment industry means that many of the creative professionals may not work every day, or even every month. Existing paid leave programs are, by and large, not applicable to this workforce. Entertainment workers depend on the income from each project they book to ensure they can support themselves and qualify to participate in collectively bargained health plans.

Entertainment workers shouldn’t be collateral damage in the fight against COVID-19. We need a special emergency coronavirus economic support benefit geared to include working people who have a bona fide, good faith offer to work that gets canceled due to the coronavirus.

Tell Congress now: Include entertainment workers in the coronavirus relief package.

In Solidarity,

Team AFL-CIO