In a recent joint letter, the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and IATSE urged Congressional leaders to work with President Biden to support the American Rescue Plan Act which will provide vital assistance to members, as well as to all hardworking Americans impacted by the pandemic.
Important provisions of the America Rescue Plan Act include:
- Increasing the federal weekly COVID-19 unemployment supplement to $400;
- Extending the COVID-19 unemployment programs (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation) through the end of August;
- Partially subsidizing COBRA premiums so that members who have not yet returned to work can remain on multi-employer health plans, and temporarily expanding healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Healthcare Act for those not eligible for COBRA;
- Delivering long-needed support to troubled pension plans and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, without jeopardizing healthy pension plans like the DGA Plan;
- Providing direct payments of $1,400 to most Americans, bringing the total relief to $2,000 following December’s $600 payments; and
- Ensuring that labor unions and guilds can apply for Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans to continue to provide important support and assistance to members, despite significant COVID-19-related decline in revenues.
