Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1280987
sagaftra.org | Summer 2020 | SAG-AFTRA 65 Staying Safe About Town N ational Board member and New York Local Board member Joseph Melendez and New York Local Board member Avis Boone keep covered when out and about. Be like Joseph and Avis! Jackie Jones G etting involved was a major tenet of my Air Force career. We were always encouraged to serve in the local community and to seek further education. I guess those habits followed me into this next chapter of my life, as well as my new chosen profession. I am honored to be a part of this community, and serving on the local board has not only educated me, but kept me in touch with the amazingly talented and knowledgeable people in the SAG-AFTRA New Mexico community. Being a board member has helped me understand the business side of things, which I can then impart to my fellow local union members. This may not be the most exciting undertaking for every actor, but it is a useful and necessary one, and I am diggin' it! ● ● Leanne Natsuyo Teves M eeting in person many wonderful and talented SAG-AFTRA members and the awesome helpful staff of SAG-AFTRA, attending an advance screening of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and being part of the gala that included the American Scene Awards and George Heller Memorial Awards ceremonies was the icing on the cake! The "cake" consisted of the most rewarding opportunity to review before the convention many proposals that many members worked so hard to put together and submit. At the convention, the fast-paced momentum of very rich opportunities continued. Most of the delegates' time and energy was devoted to voting on a great number of resolutions. These resolutions went through review after being submitted as proposals, and then presented to the delegates for a vote. Such a rewarding experience to represent the Hawaii Local at the convention, knowing that I had a voice through voting for proposals that would move us forward in this industry and as a union. An experience all members should have. I encourage all in the next election cycle (2021) to go out and seek through the nomination and voting process a convention delegate position. It is an excellent opportunity to serve in our wonderful union! ● Hawaii Leanne Natsuyo Teves with SAG-AFTRA VP, Los Angeles Clyde Kusatsu. Production is to be divided into three zones: A, where cast and crew must work in close proximity without protective gear; B, areas outside the central core, such as a production office, that are related to the shoot but where workers can wear protection; and C, the outside world, places such as homes and hotels, where cast and crew go when they are not working. Anyone moving into zones A or B for the first time must be tested. In addition, people in Zone A are to be tested three times a week, while those in Zone B must be tested at least once a week. The Safe Way Forward calls for the hiring of a health safety supervisor to enforce and implement COVID-19-related safety practices. The protocols also require a fully staffed Health Safety Department. Its manager would oversee the execution of these directives in conjunction with the directors' team and other department heads. "[W]hile films and television shows are important, they do not trump the importance of getting the people who make them safely home to their families or loved ones," it states. Addressing employers, it says, "[W]e are willing to go to great lengths to ensure a safer environment for all of us. We hope you are as well." For all the latest information, visit sagaftra.org/backtowork. New Mexico SAFETY Continues from page 41