Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/964761
SAGAFTRA.org | Spring 2018 | SAG-AFTRA 29 SAG-AFTRA joins the AFL-CIO leadership summit Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and begins to develop a cross- industry workgroup to review and develop best practices throughout the labor movement. FEB. 11 The National Board of Directors meets, approves and releases the new Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment. The Code is part of the broader Four Pillars of Change initiative, which was also announced during the meeting. MARCH 1 SAG-AFTRA hosted a critical briefing on sexual harassment legislation and policy with members and two state senators who are leading the charge in Sacramento. members is startling. The stories that our members and others have courageously shared with the world about their experiences attest to this awful reality. As a union, a professional family that supports our members, we absolutely have to address this. The second reason is because we have been presented with an enormous opportunity to generate cultural change on a large scale as it relates to this issue, and it is absolutely our intent to seize this opportunity. Q: How will success be measured? A: Success will be measured in a variety of ways. First and foremost, people will experience harassment and sexual assault much less frequently in the workplace than they did before. This happens through a combination of robust protection by the union; more informed employees; employers feeling more legal repercussions and media exposure than ever before on this issue; and predators having much less space to commit these heinous acts. The ultimate way to measure it is that things get better, but we also want to measure the amount of education that our members receive. The union provides training that gives our members real tools to protect themselves and understand their rights and how they can be protected in a work environment. Q: What is the role of members in this effort? A: Members are the key to this initiative. Members are intimately involved in the materials that we are drafting and the educational programs that we provide. Members are taking the Code of Conduct seriously to ensure that they refrain from harassing conduct, and they take steps to support each other when they witness harassing conduct. None of this works without the integral participation of our membership. Q: How was the Code of Conduct created, and with whose input? A: The Code of Conduct was created in response to a member discussion in which it became clear that our members would benefit from a clear understanding of their rights and guidance on how they can safely navigate their work environments. Our Code of Conduct is an important platform, but it is only the beginning. Our goal is to provide additional specific guides and guidance for members to account for both the traditional and the nontraditional environments in which they work and network in this industry. Q: Sexual harassment and abuse of power have been longstanding problems in the industry. What's different this time that makes the union think it can create meaningful and lasting change? A: The revelation of the depth and pervasiveness of the misconduct of Harvey Weinstein and other now-notorious predators was a clear wakeup call for nearly every stakeholder in this industry and beyond. A moment like that creates a unique pathway for cultural change and a way to shift the entire ecosystem. It allows SAG-AFTRA, and frankly everyone else, to have a different kind of conversation with a different set of expectations about who will listen and participate in that conversation. And that's what happened in this instance. We believe it is a unique call to action for all of us. FEB. 7 Carteris meets with U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier on Capitol Hill to discuss legislative solutions (see page 23).