House Subcommittees Provide Operational Funding for NEA, NEH, and CPB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate
P: 202-638-0320 x115
Kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2017—This week, the respective U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittees responsible for the bills to fund the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) approved funding levels that would allow the three institutions to remain operational going forward.

This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies marked up the appropriations bill for the CPB and approved a full, advanced appropriation of $445 million for Fiscal Year 2020. Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies unanimously approved $145 million in funding for the NEA and NEH each—a $5 million cut from Fiscal Year 2017 funding levels. However, the proposed appropriations are significantly higher than the funding levels in the White House’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The administration’s proposed $29 million for the NEA, $42 million for the NEH, and $30 million for the CPB would have begun the process of eliminating the three institutions.

“Despite needless proposed cuts to the NEA and NEH budgets, the actions of the House subcommittees send a message that the NEA, NEH, and CPB are vital to our country’s economy,” said Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Paul E. Almeida. “The committees listened to our unions and their members when they told Congress that federal arts funding supports family-sustaining jobs in all 50 states. We remain united in seeing to it that at the end of the appropriations process the NEA, NEH, and CPB are fully funded.”

In March, President Donald Trump came out with his “skinny budget,” which proposed eliminating the NEA, NEH, and CPB. DPE and its 12 arts and entertainment affiliate unions responded to the proposed budget by urging Congress to fully fund all three agencies. The presidents of DPE’s arts and entertainment unions along with President Almeida sent a letter to members of Congress in April emphasizing the middle-class jobs in smaller, rural communities supported by federal arts funding. The unions followed up on the April letter with a letter that included a diverse group of employers—ranging from the Motion Picture Association of America to the Tulsa Ballet—notifying Congress that private funds alone would not make up for the loss of the three institutions and that they must be fully funded.

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 23 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.

Employers and Unions From Across the Entertainment Industry Urge Full Funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate
P: 202-638-0320 x115
Kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2017—A diverse group of employers—ranging from the Motion Picture Association of America to the Tulsa Ballet—united with unions representing professionals from across the arts and entertainment industry to support continued full funding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in Fiscal Year 2018. The unions, affiliates of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), represent actors, musicians, dancers, stagehands, and many other entertainment professionals.

In a letter sent to Congress today, the union-employer coalition urged members to maintain current funding levels for the NEA, NEH, and the CPB in next year’s budget. The group emphasized the good jobs supported by the three institutions in every state. The letter also cautioned Congress that private funding alone would not fill the void created by the loss of NEA, NEH, and CPB funding.

“Today’s joint letter should send a clear message to Congress,” said DPE President Paul E. Almeida. “Employers and professionals in the arts and entertainment industry back full funding of the NEA, NEH, and CPB due to the important role these agencies play in supporting jobs and ensuring cultural access in every state, particularly places far removed from cultural centers.”

The organizations that have signed-on to today’s letter include:

• Actors’ Equity Association

• American Federation of Musicians

• American Guild of Musical Artists

• American Guild of Variety Artists

• Atlanta Ballet

• Ballet West

• Broadway League

• Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

• Directors Guild of America

• Guild of Italian American Artists

• Houston Ballet

• Houston Grand Opera

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

• League of Resident Theatres

• Metropolitan Opera

• Motion Picture Association of America

• New York City Ballet

• New York City Opera

• Off-Broadway League

• Office and Professional Employees International Union

• Recording Industry Association of America

• SAG-AFTRA

• San Francisco Opera

• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

• Thirteen/WNET

• Tulsa Ballet

• WLIW

• Writers Guild of America, East

Today’s letter follows up on a letter sent in early April from the 12 DPE-affiliated entertainment unions to Congress in response to President Trump’s “skinny” budget, which proposed eliminating the NEA and NEH, as well as cutting federal funding for the CPB. During the first week of May, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate voted to fund the three institutions through the end of the 2017 fiscal year. The funding levels for the 2018 fiscal year are still unknown.

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 23 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.

Entertainment Unions Stand Together to Oppose Proposed Cuts to the NEA, NEH, and CPB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate
P: 202-638-0320 x115
Kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, April 5, 2017—Yesterday, 12 national unions representing over a half million arts and entertainment professionals came together to oppose President Donald Trump’s proposed elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and privatization of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

In a joint letter which was delivered yesterday to members of Congress, the arts and entertainment affiliate unions of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) stressed the importance of the NEA, NEH, and CPB to the nation’s economy and American culture. The coalition emphasized that middle-class jobs in smaller, rural communities will be impacted the most by the federal funding cuts, not those in Hollywood or on Broadway, and urged Congress to maintain current funding levels for all three institutions.

“Our unions’ members include actors, musicians, stagehands, and many other professionals in diverse communities in all 50 states,” said DPE President Paul E. Almeida. “Trump’s proposed cuts to the NEA, NEH, and CPB will hurt many of these hard-working Americans and we are united in our effort to ensure Congress preserves federal arts funding.”

The unions that signed-on to the letter include:

• Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)

• American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

• American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)

• American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA)

• Directors Guild of America (DGA)

• Guild of Italian American Actors (GIAA)

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE)

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

• Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)

• SAG-AFTRA

• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)

• Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE)

DPE and its affiliate unions will continue to monitor President Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2018 budget as it moves through the legislative process.

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 23 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.

Statement in Support of the March for Science

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate
P: 202-638-0320 x115
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) – a coalition of 23 national unions representing over four million professional employees – is proud to support the March for Science. Members of DPE affiliate unions include scientists, engineers, teachers, nurses, and others who work in science-related occupations in both the private and public sectors. DPE knows from the work of these women and men that scientific inquiry is necessary for the long-term advancement of us all as individuals and a society. DPE remains committed to helping protect the professional integrity of people engaged in scientific discovery, and to promoting the open, public exchange of facts and ideas that result.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Affiliates with the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Marella Martin Koch
Communications Manager, SDC
P: 646-524-2225
 MMartinKoch@SDCweb.org

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate, DPE
P: 202-638-0320 x115
 Kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

February 21, 2017, NEW YORK—The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) has become an affiliate of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), joining a coalition of national unions that collectively represent over four million professional and technical employees.

“DPE is excited to welcome SDC as an affiliate,” said DPE President Paul E. Almeida. “Professional occupations—like stage directors and choreographers—are the future of both the workforce and the labor movement. DPE looks forward to working with SDC to advance its members’ interests.”

DPE provides affiliates with a forum to discuss issues of common concern and take collective action. SDC, a theatrical union, will have the ability to collaborate with DPE’s 10 other arts and entertainment member unions. Additionally, SDC will have the opportunity to engage with unions representing professionals in other industries and have access to DPE organizing and research-related resources.

SDC President Pam MacKinnon stated, “The Membership have voiced an understandable and loud desire for our Union to engage politically. We are a national Union of high standing professionals, problem solvers, and leaders. Becoming an affiliate of the DPE is a concrete way for SDC to contribute to larger political action.”

The Department for Professional Employees (DPE) is a coalition of 22 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.

SDC is the theatrical union that represents 4,000 professional stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States. Its mission is to foster a national community of professional stage directors and choreographers by protecting the rights, health, and livelihoods of all its Members.

SDC has jurisdiction over the employment of directors and choreographers working in the following areas: Broadway and National tours, Off-Broadway, ANTC (Association of Non-Profit Theatre Companies, New York City), Resident Theatre (League of Resident Theatres – LORT), Resident summer stock companies (Council of Resident Stock Theatres – CORST/TSS), Dinner Theatre (Dinner Theatre Agreement – DTA), Regional Musical Theatre (RMT), and Outdoor musical stock (OMS).

SURVEY: Majority of Professionals Support Unionization at Work

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Research and Communications Associate
P: 202-638-0320 x115
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2017—A national survey of non-union professional employees finds a majority of professionals support the idea of union representation in their workplace.

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE)-sponsored survey was conducted online in October 2016 and interviewed 1,004 professional employees not currently represented by a labor union.

The major findings of the survey include:

• 56 percent of all professionals surveyed approve of having a union at their workplace

• Most professionals (61 percent) would support coming together in union to receive better salaries and raises

• More than half of professionals believe that union representation would improve their salaries as well as their health and retirement benefits

“Most professionals want and deserve a raise,” said DPE President Paul Almeida. “Professionals realize that by coming together in union they can earn better pay, benefits, and working conditions.”

Improving wages has become more important to professionals over the last 10 years. The survey found that better wages was the most convincing reason for professionals to consider joining a union, while professionals surveyed in 2005 did not rank better wages as a top reason.

The results also show that there is an opportunity to grow union support among professionals:

• Of the 441 professionals in the survey who disapproved of having a union at their current job, the majority (60 percent) only somewhat disapproved

• Only 30 percent of those who disapproved of a union in their workplace reported knowing a great deal or fair amount about unions

• Professionals who disapprove of unions still believe there is room for improvement in their salaries, benefits, and voice at work

“Most professionals who disapprove of unions do not hold strong anti-union sentiments,” said Almeida. “By providing more information about the advantages of a collective voice and demonstrating success through improving wages and benefits, union organizers can overcome many of the concerns disapprovers have about unions.”

The survey was conducted by Hart Research Associates. DPE will continue to analyze the results and release new demographic-based reports every two weeks.

The Department for Professional Employees (DPE) is a coalition of 22 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.