In a surprise move, two of the US’s biggest talent unions have come out in support of Universal’s takeover of EMI’s recorded music division on the ground that UMG would, unlike previous owners Terra Firma, actually invest in music and musicians. In a letter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz The American Federation of Musicians said that UMG had shown “compliance with and respect for its collective bargaining agreements has been positive when compared to its peer companies” and that “Sustaining the EMI legacy” under Universal’s ownership “would appear to benefit AMF recording musicians.” The recently merged The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said Universal has shown commitment to the music industry, investing in new artists and innovative musical genres in a separate letter saying “For EMI to be left to further drift into oblivion, or for EMI to be acquired and sold off in pieces by capital investment speculators with no appreciation for, or commitment to, artists who fuel the recording industry, would ill serve the industry,” SAG-AFTRA said.
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