IATSE outlines the legislative agenda for the new Congress: “Union under attack”

The IATSE is calling on Congress to pass a wide range of legislation to protect its members and the rights of working men and women across the country. The wish list known as the Federal Issue Agenda faces an uphill battle with Republicans, who now control the House of Representatives.

IATSE is calling for the repeal of so-called “right to work” laws that make it difficult for workers in 28 states to form unions and bargain collectively. for the National Industrial Relations Board.

“Unions are under attack,” the union says, “with policies across the country that undermine workers’ collective bargaining rights and deprive union workers of the wages, benefits and pension security they deserve. We must strengthen federal laws that protect workers’ rights. Organize a union and negotiate for higher wages and better benefits.”

The union also wants Congress to make health care a fundamental right of all Americans. “Our longstanding goal in achieving this goal is to move quickly toward a single-payer system that provides universal coverage without jeopardizing the hard-won benefits that union members have won for themselves and all workers.”

IATSE also upholds federal laws protecting voting rights. The right to vote is fundamental for working people. “It is how we express our voice as citizens and is the ultimate defense against the power of wealth and privilege. Our freedom of choice is threatened as many states have unnecessarily restricted access to the ballot box. Early and absentee choices that entertainers depend on due to the temporary nature of our work are limited in the US. To uphold the will of the people, we need national standards that ensure every voice is heard and every vote is counted. “

The union is also calling on Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, education, public accommodations, and federal programs. prohibit. “Equal rights are the cornerstone of the labor movement,” the union says. “IATSE is committed to equal opportunities, eliminating all forms of discrimination and combating systemic racism in the arts and entertainment industry.”

To restore tax fairness for union creative professionals, the union is asking Congress to pass the Performing Artists Tax Parity Act to update tax deductions for qualified performing artists, restore the tax deductibility of union dues and tax breaks for companies that do have broken. trade unions. “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act 2017 eliminated unpaid employee expenses as a tax deduction,” the union said. “W-2 workers have lost the ability to deduct expenses that are often substantial, such as our equipment, travel to work and even union dues. This meant an industry-wide tax increase for working-class creatives and unions.”

IATSE is calling for more federal funding for the arts and wants Congress to support a funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts set at the equivalent of $1 per capita, or $333 million. “As an entertainment union, we know that promoting the arts has a direct impact on job growth and employing our skilled tradesmen. Government arts agencies – like the National Endowment for the Arts – support working families, strengthen local economies and ensure that all Americans have access to arts and entertainment.”

The union is also demanding that Congress enforce strong copyright laws to protect creative content by reforming Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and excluding overly broad copyright safe harbor provisions from future US trade agreements. “Fighting online piracy and enforcing copyright obligations is essential for our members,” says the union. “Although we do not own the copyright to the works to which we contribute, our livelihood depends on contractually agreed residual payments in our health and pension plans when the copyright for these audiovisual works is licensed to others during the life of a work . Theft of copyrighted works – at home and abroad – threatens our hard-earned health and pension security.”

The IATSE calls for the establishment of a national paid family and sick leave program, noting that it is “composed of a diverse membership with diverse family care needs. While some of our members have access to, or these benefits at the bargaining table, state-sponsored family and medical benefits, many more IATSE employees do not qualify for state-provided paid time off programs due to the temporary “gig”-based nature of our work, performed for multiple employers each year, potentially in more than one state.As we develop a national program, we call on Congress to consider the unique behind-the-scenes work patterns of entertainment workers to ensure we are not excluded from this vital health care infrastructure.

The union is also calling for legislation to protect and restore social security and to “defend our pension funds and ensure retirement security after a long working life”. The union praised the recent Congress for passing the Butch Lewis Act to protect the long-term health of the corporate pension system, saying, “We oppose any proposals that would undermine our financially stable, healthy pension plans and the assets of the IATSE will damage for promise.” Pension plan for employees.”