“The extra $600-per-week in federal pandemic unemployment compensation has been crucial in helping my family weather this difficult time. Both my husband and I are musicians in the @metorchestra, and we have been unpaid since March 31. The many expenses that come with living and raising children in Manhattan are incredibly hard to keep up with our two salaries gone. Without the extra $600 we would not be able to pay our mortgage or buy groceries without draining our savings of the past 15 years. We just learned the earliest we can return to work is December, which means we need help to survive past July 31 without resorting to drastic measures. It is imperative our elected leadership fight on our behalf to extend this relief to ensure artists who have little to no work prospects and who will be among the last to return to work can survive the pandemic, thereby preserving arts institutions and the arts as a whole.”

– Local 802 member JOANNA MAURER

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