AEMI Public Media Unions Denounce Passage of Rescissions Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 - Last week, Congress voted to approve H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, which revokes $1.1 billion in already-approved funding for public media. 

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) unions within the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO that have members who work in public media released the following statement in response to the vote:

“We denounce the passage of the Rescissions Act of 2025, which claws back already approved funding for public media, including, PBS, PBS Kids, NPR and small noncommercial stations across the country. 

Rescinding public media funds is a radical act that will immediately impact the members of our unions who work on-air and behind-the-scenes to support and enrich their communities, many of whom rely on these stations for critical access to news, local information, and free educational content. More than 19,000 people who work in public radio and broadcasting now face an uncertain future with looming job losses and economic pain, with rural America slated to be hit the hardest by these cuts. 

At the same time, today is not the last word. We will keep making the case for public media because we know its economic value and the importance it plays in everyday Americans’ lives.”

The AEMI unions with members working in public media include:

• American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

• Directors Guild of America (DGA)

• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)

• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

• Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)

• Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)

• Writers Guild of America East (WGAE)

About the AEMI

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition is made up of 12 national unions that represent professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries and is led by DPE. The AEMI is the leading voice in the labor movement on public policy in the arts, entertainment, and media industries.

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 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.

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Unions Push Back Against Proposed Elimination of the NEA, NEH, and CPB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2025 - Last week the Trump Administration released President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 “Skinny” Budget Request, which called for eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). 

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO released the following statement in response to the proposed elimination of the NEA, NEH, and CPB:

“Unions are prepared to fight back again against efforts to eliminate the NEA, NEH, and CPB. Nonprofit arts, humanities, and public media enjoy broad, bipartisan public support because they power local economies in every state and expand access to quality artistic and educational content across communities. Shutting down the NEA, NEH, or CPB would be a radical action that would harm everyday people. 

The notion that federal funding for the arts, humanities, or public media is a financial burden for working Americans is plainly wrong.

We know firsthand the economic value of federal funding for the arts, humanities, and public media. Many members of our unions earn their living working on nonprofit productions, documentaries, and informational programs that receive funding from the NEA, NEH, or CPB. For some union members, NEA, NEH, and CPB- supported projects served as an entry point to careers in the commercial side of their industries, particularly people who grew up in rural areas far from the country’s larger media markets. These projects also have a positive economic impact for local economies beyond employment, as audiences spend an estimated $38.46 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission, on goods and services in the communities where they attend arts and cultural programs.

Similarly, we are deeply concerned about the haphazard termination of hundreds of NEA and NEH grants. Many unions’ members who work or anticipated working on the programs supported by these grants now face economic uncertainty as funding disappears and their jobs are eliminated. 

Private money cannot fully replace federal funding. Eliminating the NEA, NEH, or CPB will lead to the loss of good, middle-class jobs. The most acute economic pain will be far from the soundstages of Hollywood and bright lights of Broadway. Job losses will be in communities where the NEA may be the only funder for regional theater or at local TV or radio stations that depend on CPB funding. 

Congress should continue to increase funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB as an investment that helps put people, including our members, to work and enriches the fabric of our democracy.”

The AEMI includes:

• Actors’ Equity Association (Equity)

• 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)

• Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)

• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)

• Writers Guild of America East (WGAE)

About the AEMI

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition is made up of 12 national unions that represent professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries and is led by DPE. The AEMI is the leading voice in the labor movement on public policy in the arts, entertainment, and media industries.

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 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.

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Unions Decry the Dismantling of the NEH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2025 - This month, the Trump Administration placed nearly 75 percent of the staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on administrative leave, announced its intention to eliminate grant categories, and began canceling approved grants that have not been fully paid out. 

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO released the following statement in response to the Trump Administration's actions at the NEH:

“We decry the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH). The actions being taken decimate the only entity, public or private, with a charge to make the humanities accessible to all Americans. Congress, by law, has mandated the NEH to make the humanities accessible to the public. The administration’s actions cause economic harm and undermine congressional intent. 

“The NEH supports educational and cultural programming for Americans of all means and geographies. Organizations in big cities and small towns across every state receive NEH grants and technical assistance. NEH funding benefits documentary films, radio shows, and podcasts of all viewpoints. Such content unites Americans through engaging storytelling about our country and our people. 

“Dismantling the NEH will harm a vital component of the creative sector’s workforce. Many of our unions’ members earn their living working on NEH-supported programs and productions. Our members work as actors, directors, editors, hair and makeup artists, musicians, singers, stagehands, technicians, and writers among many other roles. NEH-funded projects have also served as an entry point for many members to careers in the commercial sector, providing them with invaluable opportunities to develop valuable skills, gain on-the-job experience, and build professional connections. The humanities are the source material for our films, plays, choreography, and songs. 

“The actions also devastate the NEH staff, including our AFGE siblings. Dedicated, hard-working federal employees have made the NEH an economic driver, despite working with an annual appropriation equal to less than one half of one percent of the total U.S. budget. NEH staff are critical to ensuring grants are awarded to a broad array of projects that represent, reflect, and celebrate America. Staff are also crucial to ensuring grantees comply with the terms of the grant awards.  

“Congress has appropriated funding for the NEH and the administration is obligated to carry out the agency’s mission. If it will not do so, Congress should do everything in its power to halt and reverse the actions taken at the NEH so the agency may return to helping put Americans to work by meeting its Congressionally mandated responsibilities.”

The AEMI includes:

• Actors’ Equity Association (Equity)

• 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)

• Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)

• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC)

• Writers Guild of America East (WGAE)

About the AEMI

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition is made up of 12 national unions that represent professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries and is led by DPE. The AEMI is the leading voice in the labor movement on public policy in the arts, entertainment, and media industries.

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 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.

DPE Applauds Senate Reintroduction of PATPA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2025 - Today, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) reintroduced the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA). By updating the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) deduction’s earnings threshold, PATPA allows middle class, creative professionals to take above-the-line deductions for unreimbursed essential work expenses. PATPA was already reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) in January. 

In response to the Senate reintroduction of PATPA, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement:

“I commend Senators Tillis and Warner for reintroducing PATPA, which will put money back into the hands of hardworking professionals.

Many members of DPE affiliated unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries spend 20 to 30 percent of their income on expenses necessary to secure and maintain employment, like headshots, agents and managers, or equipment. Past changes to the tax code caused middle-class, creative professionals to lose their ability to deduct these expenses and unintentionally raised their tax bills significantly. PATPA provides a bipartisan solution that promotes tax fairness by restoring middle-class entertainment workers' ability to deduct legitimate, required work expenses.

DPE encourages Congress to do right by middle-class professionals in the entertainment industry and pass PATPA.” 

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 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.

DPE Commends House Reintroduction of PATPA, Legislation Aiming to Restore Tax Fairness for Entertainment Professionals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2025 - The bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA) was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives late last week by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Judy Chu (D-CA). PATPA will restore tax fairness for entertainment professionals by updating the adjusted gross income cap for the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) deduction from $16,000 to $100,000 for single taxpayers and $200,000 for joint filers, which will ensure today’s middle-class entertainment professionals can access this longtime provision in the tax code that allows them to deduct expenses required to secure and maintain employment. 

In response to the House reintroduction of PATPA, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement:

“I applaud Representatives Buchanan and Chu for prioritizing tax fairness for entertainment professionals by reintroducing PATPA.

Currently, many middle class actors, stage managers, dancers, musicians, cinematographers, and other creative professionals spend 20 to 30 percent of their income on work expenses, like headshots, talent agents and managers, or equipment. Past changes to the tax code unintentionally left many middle class entertainment professionals with hefty tax bills by eliminating their ability to deduct these necessary expenses. Many creative professionals, including members of DPE affiliated unions, have faced financial hardship as a result of this unintended tax increase. PATPA is needed to ensure entertainment professionals are no longer penalized for seeking and maintaining employment. 

DPE calls on Congress to pass PATPA to restore tax fairness and put money back in the hands of hard-working professionals in the creative industries.”

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 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.