Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1497702
M A Y 2 0 2 3 I 7 DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, Teamsters and the Hollywood Basic Crafts Announce COVID-19 Safety Protocols to Expire May 11, 2023 On March 30, the DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Hollywood Basic Crafts, and SAG-AFTRA announced the expiration of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement and its related protocols, effective May 11, 2023. This is the same date the Federal Government is ending its COVID Public Health Emergency. First enacted in September 2020 after a months-long production shutdown, the COVID-19 Safety Agreement is the outcome of unprecedented coordination and solidarity between the unions and collaboration with employers. The agreement, reflecting science-based protocols, transformed creative workers as one of the nation's first industries returning to work safely. The transition includes the following conditions: 1. Grandfathering: Projects in production before May 11, 2023, which had already established a mandatory vaccination policy in Zone A, may keep that policy for the duration of that production. For episodic projects, this applies only to the season in production before May 11, and not for subsequent seasons. 2. Intimate Photography: SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP have reached an understanding on a testing system for performers involved in intimate scenes to ensure their safety and well-being. 3. Additional Paid COVID -19 Sick Days: The unions have secured an additional five paid COVID-19 sick days for all employees through the end of the year. For the past three years, workers throughout the entertainment community have benefited from our robust protections exceeding the practices of many other industries. With the public health emergency now ending and the expiration of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement, individual employers continue to be responsible for ensuring safe workplaces for their employees, but must seek separate agreement with the applicable joint unions before implementing any COVID safety protocols. For more Covid-19 Safety information see the Covid Resources section on www.dga.org Due to the prioritizing of the BA/FLTTA Negotiations, the 2023 DGA Annual Membership meetings, previously scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 in Los Angeles and Tuesday, May 23 in New York, have been postponed to a later date. Detailed information about the Annual Membership meetings will be posted online at www.dga.org and featured in the next issue of DGA Monthly. 2023 DGA Annual Meetings Postponed