Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1401622
50 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2021 | sagaftra.org specific initiatives to reach its goals, including new protocols stunt coordinators must follow to ensure the hiring of more women, people of color and people with disabilities as well as other underrepresented groups. The Task Force has called for strengthening training and mentoring programs across the country and creating ties to existing stunt skills schools and certification programs, with the specific focus on expanding the universe of a diverse cadre of performers. "Our ability to grapple with our own challenges to achieving workplace equity and make significant changes is the true marker of our commitment to equity and inclusion," said National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. The union is also working closely with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the hair and makeup industry. When performers of color sit on set for hair and makeup, they need to feel confident that they will be equitably handled. "We have recognized throughout each step we've taken that achieving diversity, equity and inclusion is an everyday challenge that, candidly, never ends," said David White, who recently left his role as SAG-AFTRA national executive director and remains a senior advisor. "But, if we weigh the totality of what we've established over the short term, we've put in place significant guardrails and markers to chart a clear path for this ongoing work." The union has been closely engaged in the broader debate over diversity, equity and inclusion that has reverberated across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing cries for social and racial justice. From public support for Black Lives Matter to hosting Stop the Hate Week, SAG-AFTRA is using its visibility to shine a light on disparities that exist in the entertainment industry and all sectors of society. The template, then, is clear. SAG-AFTRA has embraced a successful strategy: Not only raise awareness of workplace equity within the industry and beyond, but also take tangible steps to improve everyday outcomes for members. SAG-AFTRA Chief Governance and Equity & Inclusion Officer Michelle Bennett said, "The key to the union's work on diversity, equity and inclusion is that we have collaboratively engaged with members, staff and industry partners across the full spectrum of the issues to create and execute real action plans that advance our shared goals for safety and equity in the workplace." 50 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2021 | sagaftra.org How Do You Self-Identify? Log in to your My Info area of sagaftra.org and complete your confidential Demographic Profile. Help your union serve you better!