Message from the Miami Local President

Dear Miami Local Members in Alabama, Florida and Puerto Rico,
 

I hope you and your loved ones have remained sane and safe during this unprecedented time of a world health emergency that we are all dealing with.  
 
Our industry and our union have been affected by the impact of COVID-19 in similar ways as almost all industries and organizations in our country. SAG-AFTRA has adapted at many levels to be able to continue providing support within the core functions of our union to our members. Our Miami Local staff has been working remotely from home since March 19. They have not stopped assisting and providing services to our members Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and 24/7 for any on-set after hours emergencies.
 
Our union’s primary focus at this time is the safety and health of our members. To that end, we are working at the national level with government agencies, industry partners and other unions and organizations to develop safety standards as production begins to emerge around the country. We have also partnered with other entertainment unions to request that Congress update the CARES Act/Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits to recognize full annual income of creators in our industry with mixed sources of income paid as 1099 and also as W-2 employees.
 
We encourage each of you to read all the updates and messages sent to members from SAG-AFTRA Communications and our national president and to take advantage of programs presented by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and The Actors Fund.
 
We all need to remain alert to any emerging productions taking place as states begin to reopen and to inform our local staff as soon as we are aware of any such emerging productions.   
 
Please continue to stay safe and feel free to reach out to me at miami.president@sagaftra.org or to Executive Director Hertha Suarez at hertha.suarez@sagaftra.org if you have any questions or concerns.
 
Together we are strong,
John McKarthy
Miami Local President