Some of Our Work…
MWA demonstrates for Fair Pay!
We came together in the spring of 2019 and that fall we presented a blueprint titled “Toward a Healthy Artist-centered NYC Music Ecosystem” to the Commissioners of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. We then did an educational trip to Albany in the winter of 2020 and discussed with decision makers gig-worker legislation and its unintended consequences on musical artists. At the outbreak of Covid-19 we asked for much needed governmental relief for all workers and hosted an unemployment blog/clinic that offered peer assistance to music workers that were having difficulty applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
ACTIONS, STATEMENTS, UPDATES:
ACTIONS:
2023
05.31.23 Fair Pay at SXSW - NYC Protest at Penske Media Offices
02.09.23 MWA Stands in coalition demanding commercial rent regulation in NYC
01.24.23 MWA NYC Meet-Up
2022
11.28.22 MWA Steering Elections ‘23 conclusion
11.22.22 First Meeting ‘Minimum Standards’ Committee
07.31.22 MWA Potluck
06.1-30.22 MWA represents independent musicians for the USCO hearing on Technical Measures
03.11.22 “Sharing the Risk” Coalition Press Conference on Touring Pandemic Assistance
03.08.22 Testimony submitted to New York City Council Committee of Cultural Affairs
03.01.22 Pandemic Touring Assistance Letter Campaign
02.23.22 MWA Streaming Justice Rally with coalition partners and elected officials
02.16.22 Testimony submitted to New York State Economic Development Hearing
02.08.22 Statement of Interest submitted to US Copyright Office regarding Technical Measures
02.02.22 MWA House Testimony for the Creative Economy
01.30.22 MWA Lost Wages Survey
01.19.22 MWA DJ/Producers Caucus Event on Fee Negotiation
2021
06.22.21 General Membership meeting
06.07.21 Launch of the Sound Engineers Caucus
06.03.21 Launch of new MWA Resources Page
05.25.21 MWA testimony in connection with hearing by NYC Council regarding fiscal year 2022 executive budget
05.20.21 MWA’s QUESTIONS TO 2021 NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATES- with campaign responses
03.09.21, 03.13.21, 03.16.21, 03.18.21 MWA “Friendbank” with NYC DSA
02.12.21 MWA invest in our NY: WPA for arts and culture workers. Demonstration notification.
02.11.21 MWA letter writing campaign in support of WPA for arts and culture.
2020
02.11.21 MWA General Meeting.
12.17.20 MWA Virtual Town Hall with NYS and NYC Elected Officials
12.17.20 MWA Release Full Report from the How Are We Surviving Survey
12.02.20 MWA Launches December Calling Campaign
10.26.20 MWA Emergency March for Survival in Manhattan
09.24.20 Testimony at City Council Hearing about Outdoor Performance Permitting
09.15.20 MWA Backyard Retreat
07.08.20 ‘Forever Money' & Structural Racism in the Music Industry
07.01.20 Read the daily unemployment countdown #FPUC stories
06.30.20 Delivery of MWA Petition with over 5000 signatures to Google Headquarters, Manhattan.
06.21.20 MWA Launches Unemployment Stories Campaign Online
06.02.20 MWA EJDD petition entered in the record of the US Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property
04.10.20 Economic Justice in the Digital Domain Petition
03.24.20 Unemployment Benefits for ALL Workers Letter Campaign Launch
STATEMENTS & REPORTS:
06.22.21 MWA, New Music Organizing Caucus & DANC Statement of Solidarity with Juilliard Student Protests
01.12.21 MWA Joint Statement with Freelancers Union, UMAW, League of Independent Theaters: Gov Cuomo’s NY Arts Revival
12.02.20 Stakeholder Response on DMCA Section 512 from MWA
06.19.20 MWA Black Lives Matter Statement
06.02.20 MWA Congressional Report
05.22.20 MWA Statement on US Copyright Office “Section 512 of Title 17” Report
02.24.20 NYS Gig Worker Legislation Report
RESOURCES:
06.03.21 Launch of new MWA Resources Page
05.20.21 MWA’s QUESTIONS TO 2021 NYC MAYORAL CANDIDATES- Document with campaign responses
4.13.20 Webinar: Covid-19 Resources for Artists and Freelancers & Follow Up Document
03.18.20 Covid-19 Relief for Artists and Grassroots Cultural Spaces
ORGANIZING UPDATES:
12.09.20 MWA Organizing Update & December Actions
11.29.20 MWA Organzing Update & December Actions
11.12.20 MWA November Actions
10.20.20 MWA October Actions
10.10.20 MWA Organizing Update & October Actions
09.07.20 MWA September Organizing Update
07.08.20 MWA Organizing Update & July Actions
06.22.20 MWA Organizing Update & June Actions
05.14.20 MWA Organizing Update & May Actions
04.30.20 MWA April Organizing Update
04.10.20 MWA April Actions Update
03.31.20 MWA March Organizing Update
2020-2021 CAMPAIGNS
Economic Justice in the Digital Domain
In April, MWA launched a petition calling for Economic Justice in the Digital Domain that garnered over 5000 signatures from musicians across genres.
Find out more about the MWA petition & it being entered into the record of the US Senate Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, and MWA’s Statement on the United States Copyright report HERE
Safety Nets for Music Workers
MWA has provided resources & information to music workers throughout the COVID-19 crisis, including a webinar on resources & actions for musicians & an unemployment blog. On June 21, 2020, MWA launched a Safety Nets Campaign, featuring daily stories by music workers as we near the end of FPUC. More about the Countdown Clock & stories HERE