Monthly Archives: June 2020

Soundgirls of Austin and IATSE Local 205 to Mayor Adler

The City of Austin has taken measures during this unprecedented time to provide relief for both musicians and music venues via the Music Disaster Relief Fund. Sadly, this fund offers no support for the hardworking venue technicians whose behind-the-scenes efforts make live music events possible. Please sign this petition to let City Council know that production technicians such as lighting designers, sound engineers, and stage managers need to be included when it comes to aiding the Austin music scene and providing hope through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Sign the online petition.

Sample Letter:

To: Mayor Steve Adler
From: You

We recognize that protecting Austin’s musicians and music venues is extremely important. However, if the goal is to protect Austin’s music industry, one key element has been left out of Austin’s Music Disaster Relief Fund; live event technicians.

Whether an event is large or small, musicians cannot be seen or heard without the involvement and expertise of stage technicians. Production staff, including sound engineers, lighting designers, video engineers, and others, are integral to the success of live music performances. In fact, the quality of production can have a direct impact on the income a venue generates.

Production staff are often freelance and just as financially unstable as musicians. Like musicians and music venues, technicians are also in need of assistance to survive the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Most affected are technicians who have been misclassified as contract labor causing their unemployment claims to be denied, delayed, or significantly reduced.

We realize these are extremely difficult times for everyone. However, in formulating help for performance-based arts, we ask that assistance is not limited to performers and venues only. Although professionally stage technicians strive to be invisible, we do not wish to be invisible within our community.

Please expand the Austin Music Disaster Relief Fund to include production staff who live in the Greater Austin Area and regularly work in local venues, and contribute to Austin being recognized as the Live Music Capital of the World.

Election Resources for July 14

The following post is a copy of what was sent via the membership email list.

This contains everything you should need to be prepared to vote on July 14. Please scroll all the way through. It has 3 parts, 

  1. voter resources
  2. voter deadlines
  3. union endorsements of candidates

RESOURCES

For a clear understanding of who’s on the July 14 Ballot and to print a sample ballot based on your address, Texas runoff election: Who’s on the ballot | The Texas Tribune

Polling places will NOT be at grocery stores. They will be a county facilities instead. To find out where your polling place is, check you are registered to vote, and check key election dates visit, Am I Registered?

There will also be new voting system,
Travis County Clerk – Meet Your New Voting System

To find out how Travis County is preparing for voting,
Texas July Runoff Election: What to know to vote | kvue.com

If you want to vote by mail, print off this application. It has to be received by July 2, 2020. https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/images/pre/pdf_tc_elections_ABBM_2018.pdf

The League of Women Voters has a good piece on voting by mail here, League Of Women Voters Austin Area – Empowering voters. Defending democracy.

And, here is the Austin League of Women Voters Voter’s Guide with information on the candidates running for election,
https://lwvaustin.org/votersguide/LWVAA-VG-2020-07-ENG-final.pdf

More resources, 
Everything You Need to Vote – Vote.org
VOTE411

DEADLINES

Texas AFL-CIO and Austin Central Labor Council Endorsements

Endorsements are voted on by union members affiliated with their state and local AFL-CIO. 

Special election Senate District 14:
No action: Sarah Eckhardt and Eddie Rodriquez

U.S. Senate:
Dual endorsement MJ Hegar and Royce West

U.S. House runoffs:
District 3 Dual endorsement Sean McCaffity and Lulu Seikaly
District 10 Mike Siegel
District 13 No endorsement (Greg Sagan and Gus Trujillo)
District 17 David Anthony Jaramillo
District 24 Dual endorsement Kim Olson and Candace Valenzuela
District 31 Donna Imam

Statewide: Railroad Commissioner runoff:
Roberto “Beto” Alonzo

State Board of Education runoffs:
District 6 No endorsement (Kimberly McLeod and Michelle Palmer)

Texas Senate runoffs:
District 19 Xochil Pena Rodriguez
District 27 No endorsement (Sara Stapleton Barrera and Eddie Lucio, Jr.)

Texas House runoffs
District 26 No endorsement (L. Sarah DeMerchant and Suleman Lalani)
District 67 No endorsement (Tom Adlair and Lorenzo Sanchez)
District 100 Lorraine Birabil
District 119 No endorsement (Elizabeth “Liz” Campos and Jennifer Ramos)
District 138 Dual endorsement Akilah Bacy and Josh Wallenstein
District 142 Jerry Davis
District 148 Penny Shaw

Travis County runoffs:
County Court at Law 4 No Action Margaret Chen Kercher and Dimple Malhotra
District Attorney No Action Jose Garza and Margaret Moore
County Attorney No Action Laurie Eiserloh and Delia Garza
Commissioner’s Court Precinct 3 Valinda Bolton

Key

  • No action means affiliated local unions are free to endorse their own candidate.
  • No endorsement means the candidate did not seek endorsement from our state and local AFL-CIO. 
  • Dual endorsement means affiliated locals should support both candidates and leave it to individual members to choose which of the two endorsed candidates to vote for.

In Solidarity,
Rachel Magee, President.

City of Austin adds new Key Indicators COVID-19 dashboard

Austin Public Health released a dashboard that illustrates the key indicators for moving between risk stages and is now live at AustinTexas.gov/COVID19.

  • Stage 1 (Green): Zero (0) new COVID-19 hospital admissions in a 7-day period
  • Stage 2 (Blue): Average of less than 5 new COVID-19 hospital admissions in the MSA in 7-day period
  • Stage 3 (Yellow): Average of 5-19 new COVID-19 hospital admissions in the MSA in a 7-day period
  • Stage 4 (Light Orange): Average of 20-70 new COVID-19 hospital admissions in the MSA in a 7-day period
  • Stage 5 (Red): Average of 70 or more new COVID-19 hospital admissions in the MSA in a 7-day period 

The risk stages system created by Austin Public Health (APH) illustrates the regression and progress of several factors, including disease, healthcare, and public health on a seven day moving average. These key indicators will inform recommendations on the tightening or loosening of restrictions on physical distancing, mass gatherings, business operations, and other safety measures in the months ahead.
 
Austin-Travis County is currently in Level 3 – the yellow risk category. At this level, APH recommends individuals at high risk for serious illness shelter-in-place and telecommute or be reassigned to non-public facing roles. Individuals at lower risk for serious infections should minimize their interactions with individuals outside of their household.   
 
At all times and levels, APH continues to urge the community to continue: 

  • Practice social distancing 
  • Wear fabric face coverings in public 
  • Cover coughs and sneezes 
  • Wash hands often 
  • Avoid touching your face 
  • Clean commonly touched surfaces