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Kennedy Center Unions Demand Transparency & Worker Protections in the Event of a Temporary Shutdown

Harold Phillips | Published on 2/3/2026
Kennedy Center Arts Workers United — consisting of Actors' EquityAFM, AGMA, IATSE, and SDC — issued a statement in response to President Trump’s announcement of a planned two-year shutdown of the Kennedy Center.

“At this time, no formal notice or briefing has been provided to the unions of arts workers whose labor sustains the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts," the statement reads. "We only know of public statements issued by President Trump and an internal message to some Kennedy Center employees that reiterated the President’s social media remarks.

A pause in Kennedy Center operations without due regard for those who work there would be harmful for the arts and creative workers in America."