Artists for Employee Free Choice

by Seth Michaels, May 15, 2009

Yesterday, 47 top performers from Broadway and Hollywood launched Artists for Workers Choice, an exciting new campaign for the Employee Free Choice Act, sharing their support for this crucial working families’ legislation in a new video.

As one of the actors in the video, Jerry Stiller (also known as Seinfeld’s “Frank Costanza”) says the freedom to bargain for a better life is critical to an economy that works for everyone.

I’ve belonged to three unions in my life and every one gave me the freedom to bargain with my co-workers for decent hours, benefits, and safe conditions. If all workers don’t have the freedom to form unions, I don’t see how we can fix our economy.

Variety, one of the top entertainment industry newspapers, spotlighted the entertainment unions that are bringing “star power” to bear on this critical battle. The unions—representing some 450,000 entertainment industry workers on-screen, on-stage and off—include Actors’ Equity, American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Screen Actors (SAG), Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW).

The Hollywood Reporter says the fight for Employee Free Choice and the campaign behind the new video has united the entertainment unions. Lisa Derrick at Firedoglake gave glowing coverage to the video, and it’s also drawn coverage from NYC Stagehand and Fact-esque.

The Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, National Journal and The Hill also covered yesterday’s star power shining on the Employee Free Choice Act.

You can help spread the word. Tell your family and friends about the video and click here to get a banner to add to your website.

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