SAG-AFTRA

Fall 2018

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68 SAG-AFTRA | Fall 2018 | sagaftra.org Union's Efforts Pay Off with New Laws A key element of the ongoing efforts to prevent harassment and ensure accountability involves support for legislation that protects SAG-AFTRA members. On Sept. 30, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law four bills that the union closely supported: • SB 1300, Fair Adjudication of Harassment Claims and Ending Harmful Legal Tactics, changes the legal standard around sexual harassment so employees can sue over a single incident of harassment, rather than having to wait for a pattern of abuse. The law also prohibits employers from requiring employees to waive their rights to claims against the company as a condition of employment or in exchange for a raise or bonus. • SB 224, Harassment in the Entertainment Industry, Lobbying and Venture Capital, clarifies language in the California Labor Code to reflect that unlawful sexual harassment can occur between people that have a working relationship, even if the accused individual is not an "employer" under the law. Added "director and producer" to the existing list of professions. • SB 820, Limitations on Non-Disclosure Agreements in Sexual Harassment Settlements, prevents settlements in sexual misconduct disputes that require victims to remain silent. • SB 1343, Sexual Harassment Training Improvement and Expansion, expands sexual harassment training requirements for small businesses, and now all employees must receive the training, not only managers. Murphy is one entertainment executive who seems to understand this. When he realized he was "part of the problem" because just a fraction of the directors on his shows were women, he launched what he called the Half Initiative, providing mentorship and training to promising female directors and directors of color. In less than a year, Murphy hit his target, hiring significantly more women and diversifying the staffs of nearly all his shows. That's what just one person can do. Imagine the progress we could make Top, in October, SAG-AFTRA observed the first anniversary of the #MeToo movement by partnering with Women In Film for a panel discussion about coping with the trauma of sexual abuse. From left, panelists included Louise Godbold, Larissa Gomes, Melissa Schuman, Katherine Kendall, Chantal Cousineau and Sarah Ann Masse. Right, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, left, and member Jane Fonda visited Sacramento, California, on Aug. 7 for a face-to-face meeting with Gov. Jerry Brown to discuss ways to change the workplace cultures that permit sexual harassment. CRYSTAL HAND

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