Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1188718
22 KEYFRAME T H E L O C A L If you experience an incident of sexual harassment in the workplace, the typical first step encouraged is to report it to your immediate supervisor or to the HR department. However, in the real world we've all probably worked at least one place where supervisors turned a blind eye, HR felt compromised, or—often in the case of smaller shops—HR just plain didn't exist. So where do you go to get help when there's nobody in-house on your side? IATSE has an app for that—and a hotline too! The IATSE Safety Info Reporting App was designed primarily for reporting physical safety hazards on live action sets (such as unsafe electrical cables, vehicle safety issues, etc.) but also allows one to report harassment on a job. You can call the hotline or use the drop down menu in the app and select "harassment" as your topic. I spoke with one of IATSE's Safety Hotline first responders who shared what you can expect. WHEN A PERSON CALLS IN OR USES THE ONLINE FORM, WHERE DOES IT GO? The individuals on the other end of the app have First Responder trauma training. They are there to listen and collect as much information about the situation as you would like to share. They will use gentle, fact gathering questions to best understand what has happened, and what you would like to see done about it. CAN REPORTS BE MADE ANONYMOUSLY? Of course. IATSE understands that victims of harassment often wish to keep details private or may be fearful of retaliation. However, anonymous reports are difficult to pursue. The more information you can provide, the greater the possibility IATSE and your Local can step in and help keep workers safe. If you are not ready to attach your name to a report, leave the name field anonymous but provide a contact number where a responder can reach you. Being able to ask follow up questions can be very important for an investigating team. Providing the name of the studio where the incident took place, and details like the specific production or harasser's name—if you are willing to name them—can help IATSE set to action. Your name and contact information will never be given out if you would like them withheld. Confidentiality is of the highest priority. WHO WILL BE NOTIFIED OF MY REPORT? ARE YOU GOING TO CONTACT MY BOSS? The course of action depends entirely on your wishes and comfort level. Some people call the hotline because they just want someone to listen, but ultimately do not wish for the incident to be pursued. Others report so that IATSE can look into the issue, and set the gears in motion to make the studio aware they have a problem that needs to be looked at. The response team does NOT contact your immediate supervisor or the harassing party. With your permission, a logical first step is for IATSE to reach out to your Guild and have someone at the office follow up with you, to work in tandem toward your desired result. WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY GUILD? Every situation will be different, and again this all depends on the reporting party's comfort level, desired action, and willingness to provide information. Member services are part of a Local's responsibility. If you want your studio to investigate the incident, one way to start might be to have the Guild send your studio or production a letter, notifying them that there has been a report. Knowing that the greater body of IATSE is on the case may be what it takes for a production to take the matter seriously and examine the conduct of their crew. The IATSE Constitution also allows for an individual to be charged with "Conduct Unbecoming of a Member". This is similar to the course Local 839 took with the Savino case, wherein the charge was "Disloyalty to Another Member". If you feel you have experienced something where such charges would be appropriate, please reach out to IATSE via this reporting app or hotline and start the discussion with a responder and a Guild representative. WHAT IF THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT I EXPERIENCED DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN THE ACTUAL OFFICE BUT AT AN AFTER-WORK EVENT? If it involves a co-worker, these incidents are still very relevant to report. Your employer is legally obligated to provide a safe working environment, and if you don't feel safe around a co-worker because of something that happened off hours, that is still a matter that should be addressed. ARE THERE ANY OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HARASSMENT OR TRAUMA? Yes! IATSE reached out to the Actor's Fund and they generously agreed to partner with us to pair victims with the resources they need. The Actor's Fund can connect you with a counselor in their network who is trained to listen and help you process what you are going through. And don't forget the fantastic mental health benefits available through Optum, which is part of our MPI benefit package. Their information is on your insurance card and helpful phone reps can get you connected with a provider in your area. KEEPING WORKERS SAFE The IATSE Safety Hotline can be reached by dialing toll free 844-IA-AWARE. You can leave a message or speak with a live, trained representative. The IATSE Safety Info App is available for iPhone and Android. To learn more about the features and be linked to downloads, visit medium.com/@IATSE/ iatse-safety-app-now-available-ee97017f76fa THE IATSE REPORTING APP ALLOWS YOU TO REPORT HARASSMENT ON THE JOB By Ashley Long