SAG-AFTRA expanded its anti-harassment language in its corporate/educational and non-broadcast contract, explicitly banning auditions in hotel rooms, the union announced on Wednesday — the same day Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on charges of sexual assault and third-degree rape.
The performers union has been dealing with workplace issues in the wake of increased attention on sexual harassment after revelations about Weinstein and other Hollywood power players led to an industry-wide reckoning. It established a “code of conduct on sexual harassment” last year, instructing its 160,000 members on how to deal with the issue. The union has also included harassment protections in recent deals for Netflix, non-primetime TV and commercial contracts, in addition to a ban on auditions in hotel rooms — the site of many of Weinstein’s auditions.
SAG-AFTRA said Wednesday that the new contract also contains language prohibiting the use of performers’ voices and images to create a digitally generated performance. The three-year contract is retroactive to Nov. 1 and runs through Oct. 21, 2022, with a 3% increase on all compensation effective Dec. 1, 2019, plus an additional 3% increase on all compensation effective May 1, 2021.
“This new contract adopted the sexual harassment language we created, and recognizes that on-set safety is paramount for our members,” said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris. “This agreement also ensures that our members today and in the future are protected from digitally generated performances underpinning the multitude of ways that work has transformed in this industry.”
The contract covers public relations, sales promotion and training films made for initial use to the public, schools, conventions, seminars, museums, in retail stores and for internet use. It also covers audio-only content, such as telephone messages and audio used in consumer products. SAG-AFTRA’s national board approved the deal in late January.
SAG-AFTRA’s master contract covering film and primetime television will expire on June 30. The union has not yet set contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.