Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538148
Fall 2025 – LOCAL695.COM 3 Lillian: "Hold for Match" was developed to prevent workers from having to report on their own. We know that abusers often do not limit their inappropriate behavior to one person, so this allows people who have had the same negative experience with an aggressor to report together. The "Hold for Match" feature allows a worker to enter their report into a pending status until another report on the same aggressor is submitted. Then the reports are released together, and the workers are notified individually. They will know that someone else has submitted a report on the same person, but they will not know the identity of the other person submitting a report. Jillian: What organizations participate in MyConnext, and why is it essential that employers also participate in this tool? Lillian: Along with IATSE, we have DGA, WGAW, Netflix, Amazon, and Kennedy-Marshall providing access to their workers. It is important that employers provide access to this tool because sometimes workers do not want to use their identity when they are sharing their experiences. It is also important to point out that this tool is available to report all sorts of inappropriate behaviors, such as micro-aggressions or yelling at the crew. These are the types of behaviors that all workers experience and impact the culture of a set. The Hollywood Commission was established to address harassment on sets, as well as other behaviors that impact workers. We are here to support all workers regardless of gender because harassment, discrimination, and retaliation affect all of us. Jillian: Is there anything you want to highlight for our members that we haven't already discussed? Lillian: As the Ombuds, I want members to know that if they are unsure about an interaction or are not sure if reporting is an option for them, they can visit the Ombuds to figure out what options are available to them. They are not alone in figuring out what they can do next. Having an experience like the one you have shared can isolate a person and I want members to know that they are not alone. The Ombuds will listen, provide resources, and most importantly, not judge their choices but support them to do what is best for them. MyConnext might seem like a foreign concept to those in our industry. The key features may appear drastic or too severe, but the support material provides guidance on how to handle the small, daily micro-aggressions that can wear down industry workers. I wish 25-year-old Jillian had this resource to help her deal with a harassing football player from her past. I wish I had learned to process and address this situation more effectively than simply tucking it away and ignoring the person's behavior, as I did. Twenty years later, I still remember these incidents when I see him on TV. I believe that having a stronger support system in my early career and being able to respond effectively to de-escalate situations would have been helpful. For more information, please visit myconnext.org President Jillian Arnold