Arts, Entertainment, And Media Unions Launch Policy Agenda Reimagining Federal Support For Nonprofit Arts And Media

The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) has unveiled its Reimagining Federal Support for the Arts and Public Media policy agenda that lays out how the federal government can take an updated approach to supporting the nonprofit arts and public media.

In addition to its ongoing push for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP), the AEMI calls for policies to strengthen labor protections, ensure a greater worker voice in grantmaking, and modernize grantmaking guidelines.

“The nonprofit arts and public media are not just popular institutions, they are economic drivers that put union professionals to work in family supporting careers,” said DPE President Jennifer Dorning. “Committed to their long-term success, the AEMI is proud to put forward a reimagined approach to federal support for the nonprofit arts and public media that will help sustain the sector's economic and cultural power.” 

The nonprofit arts and public media help drive a segment of the economy that regularly generates four percent of the U.S. GDP and supports more than five million jobs. In fact, many union arts, entertainment, and media professionals either earn their living now or started their careers working on nonprofit productions and public media programs that receive federal funding. The policy agenda recognizes that, along with increased funding for the NEA, NEH, and CPB, a modernized approach to federal grantmaking will help make sure the sector continues to be able to offer professionals sustainable careers. 

The policies proposed include: strengthening and modernizing prevailing wage protections; prioritizing seats for worker advocates on the National Council on the Arts, the National Council on the Humanities, and the CPB's Board of Directors; and authorizing larger-dollar general operating grants through the NEA, NEH, and CPB with a worker-centered approach to grantmaking. 

“I'm excited to share this policy agenda, which is informed by the lived experiences of AEMI union members who have a unique vantage point on what's needed to best support this vital sector due to the work they perform everyday,” said Dorning.

The AEMI includes:

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

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.

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