call Congress for COVID-19 relief on new Musicians' Union's Day of Action
The newly formed Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) have announced a Day of Action today “to demand that Congress acts on COVID relief measures” for musicians and music workers as outlined in their open letter published last week. Specifically, the UMAW is calling on music workers to make calls to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and leaders of the Congressional Arts Caucus. They’ve set up a special hotline — (813) 213-3989 — to easily connect callers to the target offices. Fun fact: if you call to help out, the prerecorded prompts are voiced by Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz who has also shared a video about today’s call to action which you can watch below.
“It’s hard to say when we will be earning a livable income again because music venues may be the last businesses to reopen, if they survive,” said UMAW co-organizer Josephine Shetty, who performs as Kohinoorgasm. “Our instability is exacerbated by that uncertainty along with the continual inadequacy of each relief package. The lag in benefits for some and lack of benefits for others is a matter of survival. We are in immediate need of a relief package that adequately addresses our demands.”
Over 700 people have signed the UMAW’s open letter, including artists Guy Picciotto (Fugazi), Lee Ranaldo, Tanya Donelly, Mary Lattimore, Geoff Rickly, Downtown Boys, Algiers, of Montreal, Frankie Cosmos, Sammus, Alice Bag, Dan Boeckner, Julia Holter, Nat Baldwin, Mutual Benefit, Mega Bog, Gouge Away, A Hawk and A Hacksaw, DIIV, La Dispute, Half Waif, Katie Alice Greer, Diet Cig, Hether Fortune, Zola Jesus, War on Women, Moor Mother, Charly Bliss, Baths, WHY?, Torres, Tomberlin, Guerilla Toss, Girlpool and many more.
as a phone call hater, the irony behind voicing the @UMAW_ call hotline (thereby enabling all of you to "talk to me on the phone") does not escape me pic.twitter.com/aJOv3Yzokf
— speedy ortiz ÷ sad13 ÷ sadie dupuis ÷ haunted guy (@sad13) May 14, 2020
https://twitter.com/K_ALICEGREER/status/1260964422945669120
Take two minutes and make a call to 813-213-3989! Now is the time! https://t.co/wfgaSfEMa7
— Downtown Boys (@DowntownBoys) May 14, 2020
Place a call to help independent musicians get through while they can’t gig— I mean, if you like music or whatever https://t.co/xuzwyqoRkJ
— Yoni Wolf (@YoniWolf) May 14, 2020
JOIN @UMAW_ FOR OUR DAY OF ACTION!
Musicians / sound workers / allies — call 813-213-3989 to be connected with congress and to share our demands for an extension of unemployment benefits + cancelation of rent + more (see our list of demands here): https://t.co/xa7EzBG3k1 pic.twitter.com/2JcHSo1iWc
— dr. enongo / sammus the rapper (@sammusmusic) May 14, 2020