Agreement Ensures Core Protocols Remain in Place, Providing Continued Protection for Industry Workers and Others While Reflecting Reasonable and Appropriate Modifications Consistent with Current Conditions
Los Angeles — The Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Hollywood Basic Crafts, (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), today announced the extension of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement through January 31, 2023.
The agreement maintains the multi-faceted approach that has kept the industry working safely since shortly after the onset of the pandemic. The extension maintains core protocols while permitting minor modifications reflecting improved conditions in most areas. In addition, the agreement again grants a bank of six additional sick days reflecting the shorter term of this extension.
The new agreement requires the strictest protocols be implemented on productions occurring in any metropolitan area or county with 14 or more COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population. This is a reasonable and appropriate modification in the trigger given the current environment.
The agreement also gives productions the option of a daily antigen testing regime for Zone A during a surge in which the production reverts back to the more stringent Part 1 mandatory protocols.
Importantly, employers retain the right to adopt more stringent requirements regarding masking and testing on a production-by-production basis and to mandate that employees in Zone A be “up-to-date” on their vaccinations.
Other than these modifications, all other provisions remain in full force and effect. In all cases, the full set of stricter protocols will be reintroduced if there is a COVID-19 surge over the winter.
The parties will continue closely monitoring COVID-19 developments.
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 reflects science-based protocols that minimize the risk of COVID-19 virus transmission across the industry’s unique work environments. The protocols have driven a successful rebound of film and television production while prioritizing safety for casts, crews, and all on-set workers.
# # #
ABOUT THE DGA
In the more than 80 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 19,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.
ABOUT SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals.
SAG AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at sagaftra.org
ABOUT IATSE
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 150,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theatre, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.
ABOUT IBT MOTION PICTURE DIVISION:
The Motion Picture Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 12,000 Teamsters in North America who work on feature, television, commercial, and theatrical productions produced across the United States, Canada and around the globe.
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD BASIC CRAFTS:
The Hollywood Basic Crafts are comprised of approximately 7,500 members that are part of Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Plumbers Local 78. The Hollywood Basic Crafts Unions represent a wide variety of classifications within the Motion Picture Industry such as: drivers, location professionals, casting directors and associates, animal trainers, wranglers, mechanics, dispatchers, cook helpers, electricians, HVACR technicians, sound installers, generator operators, portable A/C technicians, laborers, plasterers, sculptors, plumbers and more.
Contact:
DGA
Rick Markovitz
rmarkovitz@dga.org /818.421.3334
SAG-AFTRA
Pamela Greenwalt
pamela.greenwalt@sagaftra.org/323-549-6872
IATSE
Jonas Loeb
jloeb@iatse.net/212-730-1770
Teamsters/Hollywood Basic Crafts
Amy Gorton
amy@ht399.org/818-432-3316
