Live Nation, AEG, RIAA, Others Launch #SaveLiveEventsNow
A new coalition of live event related companies, #SaveLiveEventsNow is lobbying for an expansion of government relief for more than 12 million US live event workers.
SaveLiveEventsNow founding members include the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), AEG Presents, Music Artists Coalition (MAC), Feld Entertainment, Live Nation Entertainment, International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), Oak View Group, Rhino, TAIT, Endeavor, WME, CAA, UTA, Paradigm, SAG-AFTRA, Universal Music Group and many more.
The coalition is pushing for a broad expansion of the NIVA and NITO- sponsored Save Our Stages Act.
90% of the 12 million industry workers employed by venues and businesses don’t qualify for support under Save Our Stages, according to the group. An estimated 77% of live event workers have lost 100% of their income according to #SaveLiveEventsNow.
Text LIVE EVENTS to 40649 to share these demands with local representatives:
- Financial support until shows are able to restart. Extension of the $600 per week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation can directly give relief to industry workers.
- Expand Save Our Stages to include support for small venues under 5,000 seats and multi-use publicly-owned venues. These venues are essential employers for live event workers and need access to grants to remain viable until mass gatherings resume.
- Employer retention tax credits. With these credits, workers still employed can maintain employment until shows return and furloughed employees can continue to receive their employer-sponsored healthcare.
- A healthcare subsidy to ensure that no one loses their benefits. The passage of the 100% COBRA premium subsidy can keep employees insured on their job-based healthcare plan.
- Equitable unemployment benefits for mixed income earners. Currently, gig musicians with multiple employment streams face unnecessary burdens when filing for unemployment. The ultimate passage of the Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Act (H.R. 7691) can help provide some financial security for these gig workers.
- Tax fairness. The passage of the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (H.R. 3121) would allow live event workers to keep more of their hard-earned money by deducting necessary business expenses from their taxes.
Learn more and get involved at SaveLiveEventsNow.com.
