Here's an urgent alert from National Conference of Personal Managers (NCOPM), the nation's oldest trade association for entertainment, music and talent managers.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) extended unemployment insurance by providing an additional $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit (Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) for those who lost their job due to the coronavirus pandemic, including sole proprietors, independent contractors and gig economy workers.

This benefit has provided much-needed financial support to entertainment industry workers who are out of work for one simple reason: There is NO WORK for entertainment workers because fairs, film/tv productions, nightclubs, showrooms, theaters, etc. aren't hiring because The Entertainment Industry is CLOSED INDEFINITELY.

This additional $600 weekly federal unemployment benefit will expire on July 31, 2020, unless the U.S. Senate votes to extend Pandemic Unemployment Compensation. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed the Heroes Act, which will extend the additional $600 weekly Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit. Now, it's up to the Senate.

However, several Senate Republicans do not want to extend this benefit because they believe it incentivizes people to not work. They allege that if you are paid an extra $600 per week to stay unemployed, you may not look that hard for work especially if you are set to earn less.

For entertainment workers, that is not even an option. Actors, agents, entertainers, managers, musicians, variety artists, vocalists and a myriad of below-the-line, back of house and other production personnel cannot return to work simply because there is NO WORK. The Entertainment Industry is CLOSED INDEFINITELY.

That's why it is imperative that entertainment industry workers immediately contact their U.S. Senators to let them know that they can't go back to work until entertainment venues reopen. Let them know that The Entertainment Industry is CLOSED INDEFINITELY and that for the foreseeable future there is NO WORK for entertainment workers.

Please enter your return address information on the right and send your U.S. Senators a personalized version of our sample email. Ask your artist clients to do the same. And please post the link to this webpage on social media. The Entertainment Industry is on life support and your email may make the difference for our survival.