The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) will conduct its 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive this Saturday, May 13. Keep reading to learn how you can help fight the hunger crisis in America. Since 1993, the NALC has hosted the country’s largest one-day food drive. To participate, simply leave your donation of non-perishable food items in a sturdy bag next to your mailbox on Saturday, May 13. 200,000 Letter carriers across all 50 states will collect these food donations on May 13 and distribute them to local food banks, pantries, shelters, and churches. Donations are tax deductible. To find a food bank near you, please visit https://www.nalc.org/food. Questions? Reach out to your local letter carrier, contact y... Read More -->

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! AGMA Artists are invited to submit a piece of writing or artwork to the upcoming issue of AGMAzine! The deadline to contribute to the Summer 2023 issue is June 30, 2023. Email submissions (word document preferred) and/or high-resolution photos/artwork (as attachments) directly to Denise Baker at dbaker@musicalartists.org. We want to capture your personal or professional stories. The upcoming issue will also feature the newly elected AGMA President, Officers, and Governors. AGMA welcomes articles (100 words to 1,000 words, or somewhere in between) from all AGMA members in good standing. Some examples of topics include: sharing what you’ve been up to personally, professionally, and cre... Read More -->

AGMA stands in solidarity with the more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who began a strike today after rejecting the final offer of the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers. The WGA writers—the professionals responsible for the content produced in film and television—are fighting to make careers in their industry achievable, equitable, sustainable, and just in the face of a changing economy. This struggle is the same fight AGMA members engage in across the country to ensure that artists and creative professionals are treated with dignity and able to sustain their professional lives. On its official website, WGA has posted a picket line schedule with both east and west coast locations. We ... Read More -->

Two AGMA caucuses are coming together for a special presentation! The Staging Staff Caucus and the Opera and Concert Choristers Caucus will host "Supporting One Another (in the Workplace)" on Monday, May 15, at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT. All AGMA staging staff members and AGMA choristers in good standing are encouraged to join! Moderated jointly by the caucus facilitators, the presentation will cover how AGMA members, specifically staging staff and choristers, can help each other in maintaining work rules and creating a safe, respectful, and supportive working environment. There will also be a discussion about how members can better represent each other on bargaining committees during negotiations. Please send any specifi... Read More -->

Every April 28, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day to honor those who have been injured or lost their lives on the job, and to organize the fight for safe jobs. We stand united to strengthen workers’ rights and protections, and demand resources and actions needed for job safety enforcement. AGMA negotiates and enforces over 65 collective bargaining agreements throughout the country, ensuring fair and safe working conditions and enhancing the quality of life of its members. Without forceful advocacy and defense of their rights, artists may be vulnerable to exploitation or illegal discrimination. Performing Artists deserve protection. They find it by unionizing with AGMA. ... Read More -->

AGMA is ecstatic over the reintroduction of the bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PATPA). Reintroduced by representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Judy Chu (D-CA), PATPA would update the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) deduction by raising the adjusted gross income cap from $16,000 to $100,000 for single taxpayers and $200,000 for joint filers. This would help to ensure middle-class entertainment professionals qualify to take the QPA deduction for certain unreimbursed, work-related expenses. Read DPE’s full press release on this news here. ... Read More -->

https://vimeo.com/818590517/909e90b18c This is a Video Message regarding the ongoing labor dispute with Central City Opera from National Executive Director Sam Wheeler. Sam responds directly to CCO's latest statement while providing updates on bargaining, arbitrations, and the unfortunate possibility of a work stoppage. **This video was originally intended and formatted for social media. We combined Parts 1 and 2 for the purposes of this website posting.** Feel free to share this message, and be sure to check out and engage with AGMA's social media posts. ... Read More -->

Tax Day is April 18, 2023! Last year, the AGMA Staging Staff Caucus hosted a Tax Day Presentation. The webinar is still available on the members-only side of our website (MyAGMA login required, found under "AGMA Webinars"). While some of the information might be outdated, we feel it's still a useful resource this year too!  ... Read More -->

We’ve been talking a lot about how Central City Opera is trying to effectively eliminate pay-or-play, the provisions of our collective bargaining agreements across the country that ensure that every contract entered into between an artist and CCO is guaranteed. Pay-or-play is the bedrock of our collective bargaining agreements; it exists in every single AGMA contract in the United States. A pay-or-play clause is an item in a contract that guarantees an employer will pay an artist, even if the employer decides not to use the artist. For AGMA Artists, this means that if you have a signed contract, but a signatory company chooses not to use you in the production, you will still be paid your fee. But what does pay-or-play protec... Read More -->

AGMA condemns the ongoing and systematic attacks against the LGBTQIA+ community across the country. This is not only a personal issue for many, but a crucial one for AGMA and the broader labor movement. To date this year, lawmakers have introduced a staggering 452 bills that restrict fundamental needs of LGBTQIA+ individuals, particularly trans youth. Healthcare is a basic human right. Yet, in state after state, we are seeing legislation criminalizing transgender and non-binary individuals and the healthcare they require. At the same time, drag shows have become a cultural war issue, subject to legal attacks and physical hate crimes. While many drag performers are not trans and do not identify as LGBTQIA+, drag shows are now ... Read More -->