Many people in Pennsylvania and across the country have been appalled by the sexual harassment revelations that have been widely publicized in the entertainment industry. Spurred by allegations of harassment and assault against major movie producer Harvey Weinstein in late 2017, the #MeToo movement has revealed numerous examples of serious harassment, often carried out by well-known figures in the entertainment industry as well as politics, tech and other fields. Now, trade unions in entertainment have launched a new alliance in order to strengthen the battle against sexual harassment in the workplace.
The agreement brings together major unions like Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, the American Federation of Musicians, the Directors’ Guild of America and the Writers’ Guild of America, East. It was announced following a meeting on Dec. 13, 2018, where the participating unions made public their plans to share codes of conduct, best practices, training materials and contract language to minimize sexual harassment in the industry. The shared resources are meant to bolster each of the unions’ efforts to reduce workplace harassment in their sectors of the industry.
SAG-AFTRA has already developed a number of initiatives against sexual harassment on the job. The union adopted a new code of conduct, and union leaders have urged an end to business meetings held in private homes and hotel rooms. The union concluded a new agreement for non-primetime shows on television networks in August 2018, which included provisions limiting the use of these spaces for auditions and casting meetings.
Sexual harassment is not only a problem in the entertainment industry; workers in all fields continue to see serious obstacles to their career development as a result of unwanted advances. Employees who have been harassed may wish to seek South Florida sexual harassment legal assistance for advice about what they can do to protect their rights and pursue justice.
Source: Rolling Stone, “Entertainment Unions Team to Combat Sexual Harassment“, 12/24/2018
