For over a century, the nation’s entertainment industry has been a major employer of American workers, bringing revenue to local businesses and communities across all 50 states.
Unfortunately, the American entertainment industry is no longer thriving as it once was. Over the past two decades, other countries have created government-backed incentives and successfully lured American production overseas.
This shift has led to a decline in domestic job opportunities, leaving too many entertainment professionals struggling to support themselves and their families. Additionally, a wide variety of local businesses—drycleaners, florists, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and others—are now closing up shop and laying off their workers because they no longer enjoy the stable revenue provided by a once-thriving film and television production industry and the workforce it once employed.
This resolution would support federal initiatives needed to bolster film and television production in the United States and revitalize American jobs. These initiatives could include:
● A federal tax credit based on wages paid for U.S. labor to ensure incentives employ American workers.
● Additional incentives to encourage industry production in rural, economically distressed, or disaster-affected areas.
● Stackable incentives with state-level programs to immediately supercharge the local business climates in all 50 states.
Approving this resolution would establish the AFL-CIO’s support for federal tax incentives aimed to increase American production and bolster opportunities for film and television workers in the United States. We must make America more competitive in the global production marketplace and bring jobs back from overseas.