DPE President Activity Report November 2020

 Good Morning DPE General Board: 

DPE Leadership Update – The DPE executive committee unanimously elected AFT Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram as Treasurer of the DPE general board. We are thrilled to welcome Fed to DPE and like all of you look forward to working with him. You can learn more about Fed here. 

 

DPE Executive Committee Meeting – The DPE Executive Committee met virtually for its fall meeting on November 12^th and received updates on AEMI activities, immigration, the veterinary services industry campaign, and DPE research and communications. Executive committee members from 10 DPE affiliates provided updates on the recent general election, COVID-19, organizing, member engagement, bargaining, and other activities within their unions.

 

Legislation/Policy – On November 16^th, DPE and the AEMI unions re-emphasized the need for Congress to provide economic support for creative professionals and their industries. The sector has lost an estimated $14.1 billion with losses expected to continue well into next year. You can read the letter that was distributed to the Hill here. 

 

Member Engagement – DPE is working to schedule out next member engagement roundtable for January. The virtual roundtable will focus on the best ways to engage and represent members working in distributed or remote environments. More information to come. You can indicate your availability here and feel free to forward to anyone in your union. For more information you can contact Ethan Miller, emiller@dpeaflcio.org.  

 

AEMI –Activities in November included:

• Updating and distributing the employment and unemployment data for the arts and entertainment industry. The November update showed continued flat employment with no obvious signs of a rebound.
• Convening the broadcast unions on November 20th to discuss ongoing initiatives and collaboration.

In Memoriam – DPE was saddened by the untimely loss of Transportation Trades Department President Larry Willis. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones at this difficult time.

 

In Unity,

 

Jennifer

 

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Jennifer Dorning

President

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

815 16th Street, NW, 6th Floor

Washington, DC 20006

Office: 202-638-0320 x10

www.dpeaflcio.org

Social: @DPEaflcio

Week starting 11/30 AEMI racial justice policy agenda

GIAA approved the below. 

Attached is a formatted review draft of the AEMI racial justice policy agenda 

that we've developed collectively over the past few months. 

Please directly email me with your union's approval by COB Friday, December 4th. 

We also are looking to schedule one more call this year to discuss a release strategy for the policy agenda, including potential media coverage. Please complete this Doodle poll by COB Wednesday, December 2nd to indicate your availability for a release strategy call: 

(DOODLE link removed for publications)

As we hope that your union's communications or media staff can participate in this call as well, we ask that you share the Doodle link with relevant colleagues. 

As always, please let me know if you have any questions. 

Best,

Michael

Michael Wasser

Assistant to the President/Legislative Director

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

GIAA Member Maria Cordaro in FIRST FAU ITALIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL+ other news/casting

GIAA member Andrea Cordaro is in the 

First FAU ITALIAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL (click for flyer), 

December 2-3-4, 2020 at 7PM (virtual).

The program includes Q&A with the filmmakers, guests and important speakers. 

The coordination is by graduate students Odra V. Dorante and David Brubeck. For information: Ilaria Serra, iserra1@fau.edu.

Link: Join Zoom Meeting

https://fau-edu.zoom.us/j/82715667504?pwd=SWJTa3l4ekowZW9Nbks0R0Q4VUlsUT09

Meeting ID: 827 1566 7504

Passcode, if prompted: Film123

Please feel free to share on social media platforms and with those who may be interested in attending! 

Looking forward to seeing you all there and again, thank you so much for being a part of this event.

Male chorus need December 2nd, starting at 7 p.m.

Men: If can help out, contact directly: MARTIN PFEFFERKORN JR. <pnitram@optimum.net>

No Epilogue Productions is currently recording an audio play for release in January. 

The play is "Not So Quiet", adapted by Sarah Moon from the novel of the same name by Helen Z. Smith and Jane Marcus. It is the story of front line WWI female British ambulance drivers.  It is a powerful piece, showing how friendship and humor can get people through the toughest of times. I believe it is a very relevant piece for our current times. 

The play is basically a six woman drama. But the playwright threw me a curve on the very last page of the script: a chorus of British soldiers singing "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty", a popular British war song of the time. click to hear song

So I am looking for men who are willing to be part of the chorus. We are hoping to record on Zoom, next Wednesday night, December 2nd, starting at 7 p.m. Hoping this should not take more than an hour. 

Being able to sing not required. Being able to sing with a British accent not required. IF you can sing, and with the accent, that is great, but I want this to sound like real soldiers, not a professional choir. 

End of Casting ------

Week starting Nov. 16 Covid Relief, Racial Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (EDI) 11/19 meet AEA/SAG-AFTRA agreement and Casting Zoom play reading

Nov. 22 Casting Emma Wood play Mr. Bennett's Pride (Prid and Prejudice Prequel) one more woman and one more man (middle or older) plus one young woman would make it a better reading with less doubling. The two women's roles are small though.

Roles cast: Robert Bennet, James Bennet (The future Mr Bennet):,

Mary Ellingworth:,Sarah Gardiiner: 

George Gardiner:, Emily Gardiner (the future Mrs Bennet):,

Mrs Graves, 

Roles Needed To be cast: 

Benedict Collins (father of Mr Collins in P&P) (TBC)

Clara Bowman: TBC

Mrs Bowman: TBC

Needless to say, English accents preferred! If you're not familiar Pride and Prejudice you will hopefully still enjoy it, but definitely extra fun for those who know the novel / film / TV series. The Gardiners are definitely more comedic than the bennet;'s - so feel free to play it up, 

Nov. 16

From Michael Wasser AEMI

For your records, please find attached a final version of the updated AEMI COVID-19 relief letter

Click here to read

Nov. 17 from AEMI

As a reminder, we'll hold the next AEMI racial justice leg/policy meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, November 18th at 3 pm et.  An agenda and call-in info is below. The most recent version of the draft policy agenda is attached for your convenience. 

Best,

Michael (Wasser) 

Agenda

Hi All,

Email November 18:

Attached you can find an update to the DPE presentation on employment and unemployment levels in creative industries with data from October. As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Ethan Miller

Research and Outreach Manager

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

Arts Sector Unemployment

November 19 Meeting

Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA Reach Joint Agreement on Live Theatre Recorded or Streamed for Exhibition During the Pandemic Period   LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK -- Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Actors’ Equity Association today announced an agreement addressing the coverage of live theatre that is recorded or streamed for exhibition to a remote audience. Both unions praised the collaborative process that allowed the parties to come to the table and reach a solution that serves the best interests of both of their memberships. The agreement reaffirms the historic solidarity and deep bonds between Equity and SAG-AFTRA and their members. The agreement is included through this link. The parties reached a tentative agreement on November 14 that was approved unanimously by the SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors and Actors’ Equity Association National Council today.

ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks   Equity contact: Brandon Lorenz | blorenz@actorsequity.org | 212-869-8530, ext. 425. SAG-AFTRA contact: Pamela Greenwalt | pamela.greenwalt@sagaftra.org | 323-440-2892 November 19, 2020

End

Week ending 2020Nov. 16 zoom Jill Biden, AEMI update AEA remote work. casting

Online Meeting Nov. 19 at 4pm EST

Carlo Fiorletta is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: GIAA Status Meeting

Time: Nov 19, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/99800433585?pwd=T0JwSUsyQTl2QlFGaGlzV1dlTzh0Zz09

Meeting ID: 998 0043 3585

Passcode: W907dD

GIAA member Corrina Castro tagged GIAA in an Instagram post - Jill Biden will be the first Italian-American first lady.

She was born Jill Jacobs, but that was apparently changed from the Giacoppo of her Sicilian grandfather.

AEMI update 11/12/2020 I approved below: CarloFiorletta@giaa.us 

Hi everyone, 

Given the possibility of a COVID-19 deal during the lame duck session of Congress, we believe it is prudent to send an updated letter to the Hill to remind legislators that union creative professionals impacted by the pandemic urgently need continued economic support. 

Please see the attached draft of the letter for your review. Aside from a new introduction, the letter's content remains substantively unchanged from our April 2020 letter with two exceptions: 1. We updated the emergency supplemental federal arts funding request to reflect our current $9 billion ask, and 2. We adjusted language in the workplace safety section to reflect that more creative professionals have returned to workplaces since the start of the pandemic. 

Because the AEMI unions previously approved these priorities, we will use an opt-out review process. Let us know by COB tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 13th if your union objects to this letter. Otherwise, we will presume that folks are okay with this letter going to the Hill on Monday. 

As always, please directly email me with any questions. 

Best,

Michael

Michael Wasser

Assistant to the President/Legislative Director

Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO

End AEMI update

AEA remote work email:

Dear Carlo,   We want to provide a brief update to you regarding our ongoing dispute with SAG-AFTRA regarding remote work in theaters.   We have agreed to attempt to mediate this dispute and we have also agreed to not publicly comment on these matters while we are in mediation. We are asking others to do the same and give the mediation process the space to succeed.   This has been a difficult and challenging time for everyone in the arts. We know that many of you have found this disagreement frustrating. Equity first suggested using an outside facilitator in August to resolve this dispute, and reaching mutual agreement on a mediator with SAG-AFTRA marks a welcome step forward.    In the meantime, you can learn more about remote work in the member portal.   In solidarity,   Actors' Equity Association

End AEA remote work email

Casting 1)  due Nov. 17 membership required 

NY casting

Union Status SAG-AFTRA Rate SAG-AFTRA NETFLIX DUBBING SCALE   Submissions Due By 11/17/2020 Synopsis  An impossible love, a dream of an indomitable man who has a sense of rebellion and justice coursing through his veins. Utterly consumed by his love for a woman and unable to compromise, He is prepared to do whatever it takes to defend his rights and his freedom. For his townspeople he becomes a symbol of a revolution that never seemed possible.   Project Notes  VOICE-OVER ONLY. We are dubbing a live-action foreign film into English. This project will be produced under the SAG-AFTRA NETFLIX DUBBING AGREEMENT. Actor must be available to record in Los Angeles. Project Name: Deafsmith Project Type Feature Film Shoot Dates

Christianno Principal / Male / 50 to 54 / Caucasian SAG-AFTRA NETFLIX DUBBING SCALE / An abusive, easily aggravated landworker. Uneducated (doesn’t know how to read) and heavyset, Christianno often lets his anger get the best of him. This role speaks in Italian accented English. Please note if you are native to Italy. View Role Martino Supporting / Male / 50 to 54 / Caucasian SAG-AFTRA NETFLIX DUBBING SCALE / Calm and understanding man who’s moved on from this dreary town, returns to instill some hope in the people there. This role speaks in Italian accented English. Please note if you are native to Italy. View Role Osvaldo Supporting / Male / 65 to 70 / Caucasian SAG-AFTRA NETFLIX DUBBING SCALE / Osvaldo efficiently runs the Factory just outside the village. He is stern with his employees, but careful in how he phrases his concerns. This role speaks in Italian accented English. Please note if you are native to Italy. View Role

Casting 2) Actors Access

DEADLINE: 11/20/2020 PLEASE INCLUDE SIZE CARDS.
SEEKING:

[ NATIVE ITALIAN READER ] 21 to 50 years old, all ethnicities male or female. 21 to 50 years old, all ethnicities male or female. 21 - 50 years old, Female or Male. Males: Little to no facial hair. Must be a NATIVE ITALIAN-SPEAKING Reader, living in and eligible to work in the US. Jacket and buttoned shirt or blouse. No tie. Reader will deliver commercially scripted input messages directly via self-taped webcam/phone, or self-taped audio recording method. Messages will be used in online focus and test groups. This is a full day's commitment. Must Have : - Teleprompter setup (or similar) & experience - Be legally eligible to work in the US - Be able to provide Audio/Video SAMPLE SET UP ATTACHED FOR REFERENCE VIEW ATTACHMENT

End

Week of 2020/11/02 Affordable Housing Matthew Provenza film analysis AEA note

Affordable housing

https://mailchi.mp/actorsfund/apply-now-affordable-housing-at-the-friedmanresidence-1326762?e=[UNIQID]

Click link to read or download

Matthew Provenza Paper

Other business:

From AEA as courtesy for GIAA members with interest:

Actors' Equity Association

Actors’ Equity Association Celebrates the Biden/Harris Victory in the 2020 Presidential Election

New York-- Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has released the following statement after the Associated Press has named the Biden/Harris ticket winners of the 2020 election.

“Joe Biden will be the most consequential president for the arts industry in a generation,” said Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association. “At a time when live entertainment is still largely dark because of the coronavirus, we will finally have a partner in the White House who will create a national strategy to bring the pandemic under control and put everyone in the arts back to work. Until then, we need to reinstate pandemic unemployment so that displaced workers can pay their bills, increase arts funding and finally pass a COBRA subsidy to make health insurance affordable as unemployment stretches on.” 

Equity has been advocating for the HEROES Act since it was first introduced, which includes $10 billion in emergency arts funding as well as $135 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. It has stalled in the Senate. 

“The members of this union were proud to do our part,” said Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity Association. “We mobilized to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris at a desperate time for the theatre and everyone who works in the arts. I am so moved by the dedication of our actors and stage managers. They volunteered so much time and energy to electing a president who cares about workers every single day, and will be laser focused on getting us safely back to work in the wake of this unprecedented pandemic and months-long shutdown.” 

Following Equity’s endorsement of the Biden-Harris ticket, Equity members enthusiastically phone banked in the weeks leading up to the election. These volunteers spoke on the phone with constituents for 7150 minutes (over 119 hours) -- long enough to see Angels in America 16 times.

Vice President Biden's victory is more urgent than ever. The week of the president election marked a record high for coronavirus cases in the United States, including two days with over 100,000 new cases reported. The Biden administration will create a comprehensive plan for combatting the virus, shortening the duration of the shutdown of entertainment and other industries and saving the lives of countless Americans.

ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org  #EquityWorks  

Equity contact: Brandon Lorenz |

November 3, 2020