Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1401622
sagaftra.org | Summer 2021 | SAG-AFTRA 49 CHUCK ZLOTNICK/MARVEL STUDIOS/DISNEY+ Stunt performer Aaron Toney on the set of Disney+'s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Members working under a SAG-AFTRA contract or third-party bystanders can discreetly and securely report incidents of sexual harassment that they experienced or witnessed. Once a report is filed, SAG-AFTRA's Equity & Inclusion team members, who are trained in trauma awareness, work with the user to determine the best course of action and provide additional resources. Users can also opt to report an incident anonymously. The National Board approved a new membership rule at its April 17 meeting that explictily prohibits harassment and abuse, including sexual harassment, intimidation and retaliation for the filing of complaints, and the rule makes such violations subject to disciplinary action. SAG-AFTRA has also deployed its long-standing leverage in the industry to win stronger provisions in major contracts with studio and network producers that guarantee members significant rights and protections in intimate and highly exposed scenes. Alongside the 2018 Code of Conduct, Guideline No. 1 called for an end to auditions, interviews and similar professional meetings taking place in private hotel rooms or at private residences — all scenarios that often placed performers at potential risk for sexual harassment. Finally, the union ramped up industrywide outreach and education, creating toolkits for members, a member-advised Quick Guide for Scenes Involving Nudity and Simulated Sex, and a guide for casting directors on the protocols to use for casting roles for intimate scenes. "The multiple tracks of building a community of skilled intimacy coordinators, the Safe Place portal and utilizing our existing strength in the industry has led to major steps in our efforts to help stamp out sexual harassment in the entertainment industry," said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. "Though it is important that we have raised awareness, we continue to go even deeper by melding the use of innovative technology, our strategic partnerships and expanding contract protections." Carteris also praised members for providing online demographic information via the My Info tab on each member's profile, because such crucial data give a picture of who SAG-AFTRA members are and shape programming and services that have played a key role in the advancement of workplace equity. Focus on Inclusion SAG-AFTRA also has taken a hard look inside its own community to probe places where improvements could be made. The National Board has approved the formation of a Diversity Action Plan designed to encourage the use of inclusive language, established diversity committees to serve Middle Eastern and North African, and Latino communities, and to provide implicit bias and inclusion training for National and local board members, broadcasters and other member groups. The union also created the Task Force on Ensuring Fair and Equitable Hiring Practices Within the Stunt Community, which has issued an agenda to promote fair and equitable hiring practices within the stunt community without compromising excellence or safety. The Task Force outlined