Broadway League, Unions Reach Emergency Coronavirus Relief Agreement
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The Broadway League and the Unions of Broadway have reached an emergency relief agreement to aid Broadway actors and crew members after the coronavirus pandemic forced all Broadway shows to go dark.
The agreement means that Broadway employees will receive pay and health insurance during the current suspension of all Broadway shows, which are currently scheduled to stay closed until April 12.
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“The leaders of our industry have been working tirelessly with our partners at the unions to forge an agreement that will address many of the needs of our employees during this crisis. We are a community that cares about each other, and we are pleased that we can offer some relief,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “Once we are past this challenging moment, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to our theatres to experience the best of live entertainment together once again.”
“We are grateful to be able to tell our members that the industry came together to provide some compensation during this terrible time,” St. Martin added. “Broadway needs to come back and working together is the best way to make that happen.”
Throughout the past week, there’s been calls for legislative relief for workers in the entertainment industry, which has come to a near standstill in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. In a guest column for Variety, Rep. Adam Schiff asked Congress to help all workers in entertainment. Martin echoed that, saying, “Now Congress must do its part for arts and entertainment workers on Broadway and beyond to ensure they have access to unemployment insurance and health care during this industry-wide shutdown.”
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