Press Releases

DPE has media staff in Washington, D.C. to handle inquiries from journalists on issues related to professionals in unions. To schedule an interview with a member of the DPE staff, contact Katie Barrows at kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org or call 202-638-0320 ext. 15 or 202-549-5991.

Katie Barrows 9/26/23 Katie Barrows 9/26/23

DPE Mourns the loss of USW International President Tom Conway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26, 2023 - Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in response to the news of the passing of United Steelworkers (USW) International President Tom Conway:

“DPE joins the United Steelworkers in mourning the loss of International President Tom Conway. To know Tom was to know his unwavering commitment to his fellow Steelworkers, whether he was negotiating union contracts or fighting for fair trade deals. Tom’s devotion to working people also extended beyond the walls of his own union. He understood the importance of organizing and growing the labor movement's power to ensure all workers receive the respect they deserve. No matter your industry or profession, Tom had your back. As we grieve Tom’s loss, we also look to his life and legacy as a model for carrying forward the mission of a more just world for workers that he cared about so deeply. My thoughts are with Tom’s family, friends, and union colleagues during this difficult time.”

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.

Katie Barrows 7/20/23 Katie Barrows 7/20/23

DPE Commends the Bipartisan Senate Introduction of the Keep STEM Talent Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2023 - Yesterday, Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) introduced the Keep STEM Talent Act of 2023, which would exempt from the annual green card cap international graduates of U.S. colleges and universities who earn STEM advanced degrees and receive an employment offer for a job that pays above the median wage for the occupation and area from an employer that completes a labor market test. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on the introduction of the bipartisan Keep STEM Talent Act:

“I applaud Senators Durbin and Rounds for introducing the Keep STEM Talent Act. This bipartisan legislation would enable talented graduates from U.S. colleges and universities, including members of DPE unions, to continue contributing to the American economy while ensuring that they can earn a fair return on their work. Specifically, the Keep STEM Talent Act offers graduates with in-demand skills a direct path to permanence, rather than forcing them to accept precarious, temporary visas. This approach reinforces the professionalism of the STEM workforce and affords individuals agency in the labor market.

DPE is proud to support the Keep STEM Talent Act’s high-road approach to attracting and retaining international talent. I urge the Senate to pass this important legislation.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 7/13/23 Katie Barrows 7/13/23

DPE Stands in Solidarity with SAG-AFTRA Members Going on Strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2023 - Today, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced members will go on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) starting at midnight tonight. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in support of performers going on strike:

“DPE and our coalition of professionals stand with SAG-AFTRA members going on strike. SAG-AFTRA members help bring to life TV shows, films, and other content that produce billions in profits for hugely successful studios. Performers, like all professionals, must be able to pursue family-supporting careers as their industry evolves with new technologies. DPE calls on the AMPTP to negotiate a contract that provides SAG-AFTRA members with a fair return on their work.

Solidarity with SAG-AFTRA members who join Writers Guild members in holding the line for a fair contract!”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 6/8/23 Katie Barrows 6/8/23

DPE Mourns the Passing of AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2023 - Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in response to the news of the passing of AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs:

“DPE joins our affiliates and the broader labor movement in mourning the loss of AFL-CIO Chief Economist Bill Spriggs. Bill committed his life to advancing economic and racial justice, using his knowledge and acumen to shape policies that led to a more just, prosperous world for millions of working people. Bill always brought attention to the inequities in our economy and the urgent need for policies that allow all workers to earn a fair return on their work. Bill will be sorely missed, but his commitment to economic and racial equality will carry on in all of us who knew him. My thoughts are with Bill’s family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 5/31/23 Katie Barrows 5/31/23

DPE Stands with DGA Members Negotiating with the AMPTP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, May 31, 2023 - Directors Guild of America (DGA) members are in their final week of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for a new contract. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in support of DGA members:

“DPE stands with DGA members negotiating with the AMPTP for a fair contract that recognizes directors’ and directorial teams' role in the success of the entertainment industry. As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, DGA members - like all creative professionals who help create the content that pulls in billions in profit for film and television producers - deserve a fair return on their work. DPE stands shoulder to shoulder with DGA in their push for a contract that increases wages to address inflation, includes residuals gains that reflect an increasingly international industry, strengthens healthcare and pension benefits, creates safer sets, and improves diversity, equity, and inclusion. Solidarity with DGA members as they near the expiration of their current contract.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 5/8/23 Katie Barrows 5/8/23

DPE Commends the Nomination of Deborah Robinson for Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2023 - Today, President Biden announced his intention to nominate Deborah Robinson for the position of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC). The IPEC is the position in the Executive Office of the President statutorily charged with engaging on copyright protection and enforcement issues and coordinating the actions of multiple federal agencies.

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on Robinson’s nomination:

“I commend President Biden for nominating Deborah Robinson to serve as the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC). Deborah’s more than two decade legal career makes her well-qualified to serve in this critical role.

At a time when policy makers are confronting the rapid emergence of AI and grappling with the growth of digital trade, middle class creative professionals, including members of DPE’s affiliate unions, need a person in the IPEC role who understands that their economic livelihoods depend on strong intellectual property protections. I believe Deborah meets the mark on this important qualification.

I urge the Senate to move swiftly on Deborah’s confirmation. Union professionals need a confirmed IPEC on the job right away. Previously, the Senate has confirmed IPEC nominees in both Democratic and Republican administrations with overwhelming bipartisan support, and Deborah should be no different.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 5/2/23 Katie Barrows 5/2/23

DPE Stands with WGAE and WGAW Members on Strike, Urges AMPTP to Agree to a Fair Contract

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2023 - Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in support of Writers Guild of America, East’s (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America, West’s (WGAW) members in film and television on strike:

“Our coalition of union professionals stands with WGAE and WGAW members on strike. Film and television writers are essential to the creation of the entertainment many of us enjoy. The projects these talented professionals help create also reaps billions in profits for film and television producers.Yet, writing in the entertainment industry is becoming less and less of a sustainable career and many writers struggle to support themselves and their families. Writers deserve a fair return on their work. DPE calls on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to come to a fair agreement that recognizes the critical role writers play in film, television, and other entertainment projects.

Solidarity with Writers Guild members on strike!”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 5/1/23 Katie Barrows 5/1/23

DPE Commends USCIS for Taking Action to Address Gaming of H-1B Visa Lottery, Renews Call for Reform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2023 - On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a notice that it has found evidence that some employers are abusing the H-1B registration process, thereby increasing their chances of winning H-1B visas to hire workers from outside of the country in this year’s lottery.

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on the USCIS findings:

“I appreciate that USCIS is taking action to address part of a problem DPE and our affiliated unions, whose members span immigration statuses and include H-1B workers, have been calling attention to for years - employers can, and do, game the H-1B visa lottery system. While USCIS's announced actions are a welcome development, as long as the lottery system exists, companies will take advantage of it to the detriment of all professionals. DPE continues to advocate for a wage-based visa allocation system. Wage-based allocation of H-1B visas would provide a market-based process to ensure that H-1B workers can earn fair wages and employers who truly cannot find available workers can meet their staffing needs. This common-sense reform would go a long way to reforming the H-1B visa program so that it works for U.S. professionals and those employed on H-1B visas.

DPE again calls on USCIS to use its regulatory authority to adopt a wage-based H-1B visa allocation process to fully address the unfair gamesmanship it has identified. Additionally, DPE urges Congress to address the broader issues that plague the current H-1B visa system by passing the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 4/19/23 Katie Barrows 4/19/23

DPE Applauds the House Reintroduction of PATPA, Legislation Focused on Restoring Tax Fairness for Entertainment Professionals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, April 19, 2023 - Today, Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Judy Chu (D-CA) reintroduced the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA), which would update the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) deduction by raising the adjusted gross income cap from $16,000 to $100,000 for single taxpayers and $200,000 for joint filers to help ensure middle-class entertainment professionals qualify to take the QPA deduction for certain unreimbursed, work-related expenses.

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

“This tax season middle class entertainment professionals once again grappled with owing unnecessarily burdensome amounts in taxes because they are unable to deduct expenses required to secure and maintain employment. I applaud Representatives Chu and Buchanan for prioritizing this issue by reintroducing PATPA.

Many middle class actors, stage managers, dancers, musicians, cinematographers, and other entertainment professionals spend 20 to 30 percent of their income on necessary work expenses. An unintended consequence of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was the elimination of the ability to take miscellaneous deductions. This change hit these professionals, including members of DPE’s affiliate unions, particularly hard due to the out of pocket costs they incur to travel to auditions, for equipment, and to hire talent agents. In effect, these middle class entertainment professionals are incurring a financial penalty when they look for work in their profession. By updating the QPA deduction, PATPA will ensure that individuals in the entertainment industry have the option to take an ‘above-the-line’ deduction for these types of expenses.

We urge Congress to restore tax fairness for entertainment professionals by passing PATPA and sending it to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 4/14/23 Katie Barrows 4/14/23

Union Professionals, Including SDC’s Laura Penn, Appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, April 14, 2023 - Yesterday, President Biden announced his appointees to the reestablished President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The appointees include Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and member of the Department for Professionals Employees’ (DPE’s) General Board, and members of DPE’s affiliated unions.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities aims to facilitate public-private partnerships, promote interagency cooperation, and propose programs to enhance the arts, humanities, museums, and library services throughout the nation. Lady Gaga will co-chair the committee with producer Bruce Cohen. Other individuals appointed to the committee include actor George Clooney, television show creator Shonda Rhimes, and musician John Batiste. Additionally, the heads of key federal agencies, like the Chairs of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, will serve on the committee.

DPE President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on the announcement of the appointees to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities:

“I applaud President Biden for restoring the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, and for ensuring that union creative professionals have a seat at the table. I am thrilled that President Biden has appointed Laura Penn and other members of DPE’s affiliated unions to serve on this important committee.

Members of DPE affiliate unions play an essential role in powering the arts and humanities, and having their voice and expertise on this committee will be invaluable in building out a national strategy to advance the arts and humanities.

With the addition of Laura Penn, the committee gains an individual of great caliber and character who brings decades’ worth of experience in the arts. As executive director of DPE affiliate SDC, Laura understands first hand that union professionals strengthen the arts sector through bargaining for good pay, benefits, and working conditions. The achievements of SDC and members of other DPE affiliate unions have ensured that the people working in the more than five million jobs in the creative sectors can earn a fair return on their work and sustain family-supporting careers.

I’m excited to see the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities raise the profile of the arts and humanities and take steps to bolster the sector and the professionals who work in it.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 3/28/23 Katie Barrows 3/28/23

DPE Applauds the Senate Reintroduction of the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act

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

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2023 - Yesterday, Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in response to the Senate reintroduction of the bill:

“I commend Senators Durbin and Grassley for reintroducing the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act, which will improve the H-1B visa program so that it works for U.S. professionals and the people employed on H-1B visas, not just employers. I also thank Senators Blumenthal, Brown, Sanders, and Tuberville for joining as original co-sponsors.

When used as intended, the H-1B program can play an important role in our economy by attracting skilled and talented workers to the United States. Unfortunately, today employers regularly misuse the H-1B program to lower standards for middle-class professionals, outsource and offshore good jobs, and pay H-1B workers below market wages in arrangements where employers control their lives.

The bipartisan H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act will go a long way toward reforming these visa programs by lifting wages, promoting worker empowerment, and ensuring that employees can exercise their workplace rights free of retaliation or coercion.

I also urge the Biden administration to take administrative actions to help fix the broken H-1B program, including adopting a wage-based visa allocation process and updating the prevailing wage levels.

DPE renews its call for Congress to pass the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act and send it to President Biden’s desk to become law.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 3/21/23 Katie Barrows 3/21/23

Arts, Entertainment, and Media Unions Launch Updated DEI Policy Priorities for the 118th Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2023 - Today, unions of professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries affiliated with the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) announced their updated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy agenda for the 118th Congress. The policy agenda’s legislative priorities are centered around creating diverse talent pipelines, incentivizing diversity in hiring, and strengthening creative professionals’ workplace rights.

“Union professionals in the arts, entertainment, and media industries remain committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said DPE President Jennifer Dorning. “The updated DEI policy agenda for the 118th Congress allows union creative professionals to continue building off gains made in collective bargaining that provide for more inclusive, representative industries.”

DPE and its 12 affiliated unions with members in the arts, entertainment, and media industries first released their DEI policy agenda in 2021. In the last Congress, union creative professionals advanced many parts of the agenda, including a meaningful increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the establishment of chief diversity officer positions at each agency.

The DEI policy agenda for 118th Congress includes additional legislative priorities, like restoring tax fairness for creative professionals and addressing systemic barriers to careers in arts, entertainment, and media. Still, passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the American Music Fairness Act, and the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act; reforming Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; and creating federal tax incentives that will encourage more inclusive hiring remain core components of the policy agenda.

“The arts, entertainment, and media industries are becoming more diverse and inclusive thanks to the efforts of union professionals at the bargaining table and in the halls of power. However, we realize this work is not finished, which is why we remain committed to pushing for smart policy solutions that will help continue to move the creative industries forward and allow creative professionals of historically marginalized communities to realize the full value of their skills and talents,” said Dorning.

The unions supporting this DEI policy agenda include:

Actors’ Equity Association

American Federation of Musicians

American Guild of Musical Artists

American Guild of Variety Artists

Directors Guild of America

Guild of Italian American Actors

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

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Office and Professional Employees International Union

Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Writers Guild of America, East

About DPE

Katie Barrows 2/28/23 Katie Barrows 2/28/23

DPE Applauds Introduction of the PRO Act in the House and Senate, Urges Passage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2023 - Today, Rep. Bobby Scott (Va.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) introduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The bipartisan PRO Act will ensure that professionals covered by the National Labor Relations Act can exercise their right to join together in union and negotiate collectively with their employers by restoring the original intent of the law. Department for Professionals Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in response to the introduction of the PRO Act:

“I’m excited the PRO Act has been introduced in both houses of Congress. I thank Rep. Bobby Scott (Va.), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.), and Sen. Bernie Sanders for introducing this critical, bipartisan piece of workers’ rights legislation, and I applaud those members of Congress joining them as co-sponsors.

Working people across the country, including professionals, are organizing unions and exercising their workplace rights in numbers not seen in decades. Professionals have won union elections in historically unorganized industries and sectors, including at tech companies, digital media organizations, and nonprofits. Through their unions, professionals are raising standards by securing meaningful pay increases and fostering equitable workplaces. Nonunion professionals have taken notice, and according to DPE’s recent survey a strong majority want to join a union. However, many professionals struggle to exercise their workplace rights because of outdated labor laws. Employers too often spread misinformation, intimidate workers, and retaliate against workplace leaders during union organizing campaigns. Additionally, when professionals prevail in their union elections, employers, in many cases, intentionally delay first contract negotiations, which today take on average 465 days to complete. The PRO Act will create mechanisms to hold employers accountable when they break the law, provide for free and fair union elections, and ensure professionals can reach a first contract quickly after their union is recognized. Passing the PRO Act is needed to allow more professionals to improve their workplaces and create good, family-supporting careers.

I strongly urge the House and Senate to send the PRO Act to the President’s desk where it will be signed into law to ensure working people can exercise their basic right to join together in union and restore fairness to our economy.”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 1/31/23 Katie Barrows 1/31/23

DPE Commends USTR’s Report on Notorious Markets for Highlighting the Impact Content Theft has on Creative Professionals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2023 - Today, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its latest report that highlights prominent and illustrative examples of online and physical markets that reportedly engage in, facilitate, overlook, or benefit from substantial copyright piracy or trademark counterfeiting. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement in response to the report, the 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy:

“I commend Ambassador Tai and USTR for using the 2022 Notorious Markets List to examine the impact online content theft has on U.S. workers. Additionally, I appreciate the report’s acknowledgment that this is an issue directly affecting the members of DPE’s affiliate unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries.

Union creative professionals rely on adequate and effective copyright protection to earn a fair return on their work. Many members of DPE’s affiliate unions in the arts and entertainment industries earn collectively bargained pay and contributions to their health insurance and pension plans from the sales and licensing of films, TV shows, music, and other content they help create. Revenue from authorized sales and licensing also funds the projects of tomorrow that union creative professionals count on for future jobs. As the 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy makes clear, content theft is pervasive and it hurts working people.

DPE remains ready to support USTR and the Biden-Harris Administration as they pursue a worker-centered trade policy that provides the strong copyright protections that middle-class creative professionals need to secure their livelihoods in today’s digital era. ”

About DPE

Katie Barrows 1/19/23 Katie Barrows 1/19/23

Professionals Union Membership Remains Constant in 2022

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2023 - Professional union membership saw a slight increase in 2022 growing to 6.27 million from 6.24 million in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on union membership. However, union density among professionals dipped due to rising employment across the U.S. economy to 10.5 percent in 2022 from 11 percent in 2021. Overall union membership rose about 1.9 percent from 2021 to 2022.

Although union membership among professionals as a whole did not surge in 2022, professionals still formed new unions. Professionals formed their first unions at big-name companies, like REI, Medieval Times, and Apple, as well as at well-known nonprofits, animation studios, and creative arts productions.

“Many professionals realize that by joining together in union they gain the power to negotiate for higher wages, better benefits, and improved working conditions,” said Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) Jennifer Dorning. “I congratulate all the professionals who joined together in union last year. While organizing is hard work, the lasting change that occurs when professionals gain a voice in workplace decisions is well worth the effort.”

In 2022, union professionals continued to be employed at high levels in the public sector, and in the education and healthcare fields. Specifically:

67 percent of union professionals were in the public sector;
47 percent of union professionals were in education; and
17 percent of union professionals were in healthcare.

In addition, professional union membership increased in occupations and industries with potential for continued growth, including architecture and engineering; community and social service; and art, design, entertainment, sports, and media.

“To grow as a labor movement, we need to continue to support organizing in all areas of the economy, including traditionally unorganized sectors. Union organizing has surged in recent years, and I’m hopeful that more professionals will be encouraged to exercise their workplace rights this year,” said Dorning.

About DPE