The recovery of the opera industry and its workers depends on three main factors: an end to the COVID-19 pandemic so that even the most vulnerable populations can again gather in large numbers; pro-arts legislation that recognizes the profound social and economic impact a thriving opera industry has within our communities; and a pro-labor agenda that protects artists from exploitation, promoted by officials committed to our health and safety.

The current administration has repeatedly tried to eliminate the National Endowment of the Arts. While our peers in Europe are back to work thanks in part to decisive leadership, the American pandemic is still out of control and has kept our workplaces shuttered. While other nations provide additional aid to support artists unable to work, our unemployment benefits dwindle. The need for change could not be more evident.

Joe Biden is the change we need. Biden has pledged to: ensure the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act becomes law; extend the benefits of the social safety net to itinerant performers through legislation that will fight the misclassification of workers as independent contractors; and make it the clear responsibility of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop and implement rigorous and enforceable rules to keep us safe from COVID-19 exposure in the workplace.

On Labor Day, AGMA Soloist Coalition endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States and Kamala Harris for Vice President of the United States. We now call upon AGMA to join with our sister unions and the AFL-CIO in endorsing Biden and Harris. As Actors’ Equity Association realized in 2016, and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society earlier this year, political neutrality is impossible in our current climate.

We invite all AGMA members to sign this petition and join us in our efforts to persuade AGMA to endorse the Biden/Harris campaign. It’s time for AGMA to get off the sidelines – our livelihoods, and our lives, are at stake.