SAG-AFTRA has announced the first expansion of the Code of Conduct it unveiled in February. Deadline reports that the union has called for a ban on auditions in hotel rooms and residences, locations associated with many incidents of sexual harassment and assault, particularly attacks perpetrated by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Called Guideline №1, the ban seeks to address “the scenario that has allowed predators to exploit performers behind closed doors under the guise of a professional meeting,” explained SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris.
Producers and other decision makers are expected “to refrain from holding professional meetings in hotel rooms and private residences,” and SAG-AFTRA has urged members “not to agree to professional meetings in these high-risk locations.” The guild specifies that “in the rare event that there is no reasonable alternative to having the meeting in such a location, Guideline №1 establishes the concept of a ‘Support Peer’ to accompany the member during the meeting.”
The union emphasized that members are “expected to refrain from engaging in harassing conduct and support efforts to eliminate this scourge from the workplace.”
Anita Hill, chair of the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace, released a statement about Guideline №1. “The implementation of this guideline marks an important first step in communicating appropriate industry standards for professional practices,” she said. “This is exactly the kind of action the Commission encourages as part of our ongoing effort to introduce systemic changes that create safer, fairer and more equitable workspaces throughout the industry. We call on other stakeholders to support SAG-AFTRA’s effort and encourage them to adopt similar guidelines within their own institutions,” she urged.
Part of Time’s Up’s multi-pronged initiative to end harassment in and out of show business, the Commission focuses on issues including power imbalance, sexual harassment guidelines, education and training, accountability, and research and data collection. The organization recently called on Hollywood to donate, and by extension, help bankroll its efforts for the next five years
In other #MeToo-related film news, Women in Animation (WIA) just followed through on president Margaret Dean’s promise to create and sign a pledge against sexual harassment in the animation industry. WIA joined forces with several indie studios to draft the Animation Studio Anti-Harassment Pledge, also known as ASAP. You can read more about ASAP in our post about the pledge.
