Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1333810
14 The Costume Designer Winter 2021 LABOR REPORT UNION LABEL "Mask Up to Open Up" The COVID relief bill is not the HEROES Act passed months ago by the House of Representatives, but rather a stop-gap measure. Its relief package includes: • A one-time $600 payment per adult and child, for those earning up to $75,000 a year. • Enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 per week for an additional 11 weeks. • Extended PUA and PEUC benefits for an additional 11 weeks. • An additional $100 weekly unemployment benefit for those "mixed earners" who received little or no help from the CARES Act. • $15 billion in grants to independent entertainment venues like music stages, com- edy clubs, and movie theaters. • Some temporary funding relief for renters. • The Paycheck Protection Program for businesses continues. Sadly missing is paid sick leave, although 14 states have enacted paid sick leave laws, as have seven cities and three counties in California. Without paid leave, workers accrue sick leave based on hours worked, capping at a few days a year. This is inadequate when dealing with a health emergency requiring extended quarantine. Furthermore, workers are often afraid to take sick days, contributing to the spread of COVID-19. The for-profit U.S. healthcare system is failing America's working families, and President- elect Biden has made it clear he will want more when he is in office. The IATSE has been fighting the effects of jobs lost due to the pandemic. Our union, along with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, conducted 78 food drives since March, and will continue to participate in ongoing food distribution efforts. Food drives in LA and neighboring counties have fed 112,818 families and 451,272 people so far. $138,000 has been allocated to rent-relief payments and utility bill assistance to help unemployed workers stay sheltered and safe at home. Mask making for essen- tial workers continues to fill requests. The IATSE Hollywood locals membership's giving and volunteer efforts have been great and must continue into 2021. To quote the UCLA Labor Center's powerful statement expressing solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives and the mil- lions of people outraged after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery, "Together, we must build a powerful movement for racial and economic justice, starting with the proclamation that Black Lives Matter." The CDG diversity committee, under the chairmanship of Dana Woods and President Salvador Perez, has set a high bar to make that goal a reality. After garnering a historically large response to their member survey, the diversity committee now asks that all members make their voices heard. Volunteer to engage on CDG social media, education committees, events committees, panel discussions, and other activities. Speak to the issue you care about, mentor others, and effect change. It is increasingly apparent that you, the CDG membership, are prepared to make the change you want to see happen. I recommend watching Netflix's A Life on This Planet to gain perspective of where we are and where we need to be to achieve balance and parity in our lives, as well as in our world. When Sir David Attenborough was born in 1937, the human popula- tion was 2.3 billion, carbon in the atmosphere was 280 parts per million, and remaining wilderness was 66% of the globe. In 2020, the world population is 7.8 billion, atmospheric carbon has reached 415 parts per million, and the remaining wilderness is only 35%. First steps have been made, but the journey to a diverse, equitable, sustainable future is only beginning. You are the change the CDG needs. We can do this. Happy 2021. In solidarity, Betty Madden CDG Labor Delegate and LA County Federation of Labor Sergeant at Arms bmadden@cdgia.com