"The email went out to members on Friday evening, shortly after President Trump signed the $2 trillion CARES Act, a stimulus package intended to provide relief to people left unemployed by the coronavirus pandemic. Congress included $25 million in taxpayer funding for the Kennedy Center, a provision that raised eyebrows from both Democrats and Republicans, but ultimately won support from President Trump.
The bailout was designed to “cover operating expenses required to ensure the continuity of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and its affiliates, including for employee compensation and benefits, grants, contracts, payments for rent or utilities, fees for artists or performers,” according to the law’s text. The arts organization decided that the relief did not extend to members of the National Symphony Orchestra, its house orchestra.
Your company is struggling economically? Well, tough beans, you have to pay your employees six weeks notice rather than two!
The president of the Kennedy had also given up her salary.
And of course the Union is going to fight this with an expensive lawsuit. (Their word.)
So screw the fact that the Kennedy Center will waste its grant in fighting the lawsuit and never be open again, the musicians will get their six weeks pay and then…unemployment insurance? But no more jobs ever at the Kennedy Center which will no longer be in business.
I would be surprised if if the Center did not have a “Force Majeure” clause in their union contracts allowing them to cancel contracts in the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond their control.
Most performing arts organizations do.
The Metropolitan Opera in NY cited it in laying off all their union employees effective 3/31.
Meanwhile bob Evan’s and famous footwear fired their employees and told them they have to reapply when this is over. They lost any vacation or benefits because of this.
