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Meanwhile, performers’ union SAG-AFTRA has been having its own internal debates over the agreement. The union has an outspoken faction that opposes the fact that the return-to-work agreement north cottage program empowers producers to impose vaccine mandates on “Zone A” if they wish. On Sept. 10, it held a meeting for its national board to discuss vaccine requirements on certain productions.
As of now, the compensation requirements as laid out in the agreement still stick. As a recap of the agreement, employees or anyone who is not a background actor who also travels outside of their home to take a test, will receive a stipend of $250. In areas with increasing COVID rates, testing requirements remain as before, though the agreement does expand the types of tests that are now allowed depending on the situation. For more on mandatory vaccinations and what constitutes a «fully vaccinated» worker, please refer to section 2b in its entirety in the latest agreement.
If selected, the production will provide you instructions on how and where to supply this information to the production. In the next few months, members of the Writer’s Guild of America will vote on whether or not to authorize a work stoppage for all projects covered by their union. As a reminder for anyone that isn’t aware, the COVID-19 Safety Agreement was originally referred to as the COVID-19 Return to Work Agreement. The mandates outlined in the Agreement are the result of collaboration and negotiation by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America, IATSE, Teamsters, as well as the Basic Crafts unions.
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As circumstances continue to change, be sure to keep an eye on this page for any updates. As the entertainment industry continues to work through a global pandemic, learning to conduct business with safety and health as top priorities is more sensitive and critical than ever before. To help filmmakers and other industry professionals navigate the process with as much confidence, ease, and efficiency as possible, Wrapbook put together a COVID-19 Filmmaking Resource Center, including a comprehensive guide free for the taking. The Agreement’s mandates originally went into effect back on September 21, 2020. Since their debut, the Agreement’s health and safety protocols have been widely regarded as effective in mitigating the on-set risk of cast and crew exposure to COVID-19.
However, those who do not schedule or receive their first shot will be ineligible for work until they are fully vaccinated. The industry’s return-to-work agreement — the pact between studios and unions that has kept Hollywood productions going during the COVID-19 pandemic — has been temporarily extended as both sides continue talks over whether to adjust current health and safety protocols. On productions without a mandatory vaccination policy, the employer cannot ask prospective employees about vaccination status up front and can only ask once the job offer has been accepted by the employee .
Covid-19 Return to Work Agreement
The parties recently revised the RTW Agreement on July 19, 2021, and includes changes in four major areas. Hollywood’s major unions and studios have agreed to extend an agreement on COVID-19 protocols for productions until Sept. 30. The vaccination mandates, which allows producers to require vaccinations as a condition of employment on a production-by-production basis, have proven to be the most controversial aspect of the protocols. Earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher expressed the opinion that it’s now safe to lift the mandates, although the board ultimately took no action.
- Contract Services’ COVID-19 Prevention Training is now available for industry-wide use.
- The employee has tested positive for COVID-19 or exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
- Employees shall be provided with a reasonable period of time not to exceed one week from the effective date of this Agreement to schedule a vaccination appointment and receive a first vaccination, and thereafter six weeks from the date of the first vaccination to become fully vaccinated.
- However, the agreement has built in triggers to reinstate stricter requirements when hospitalizations from COVID-19 increase in metropolitan areas.
- Note that this is only the case under the Agreement’s most flexible protocols.
The confirmed transmission rate , which is the average number of people that one person with COVID-19 is expected to infect, is 1.1 or higher for seven consecutive days. The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future. The White Paper outlines guidance regarding protective measures to be used, including regular screening, diagnostic testing, use of personal protective equipment, cleaning and disinfecting work sites, and appropriate response should an employee contract COVID-19 or be exposed to it. Members seeking financial assistance may also apply for the Local 600 Hardship Fund, administered by the Entertainment Community Fund .
Once they receive the application, the Entertainment Community Fund will reach out to you to continue the process. That agreement was updated in 2021 but was scheduled to end on September 30 i.e. yesterday. For this and more union knowledge, stay in the know by signing up for our newsletter. For more on the exact hour amount and payment rates per each union, see section 8. A public official or healthcare provider has requested that the employee isolate or self-quarantine due to COVID-19 . A member of the employee’s household has tested positive for COVID-19 or exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
Any time you receive a message from a Casting Director, like an availability inquiry, you should answer all questions and fill out all fields. If the production has a mandatory vaccination policy, alcohol addiction & abuse the message from Casting Directors will say so. And if you meet the criteria and want to submit for the job, follow the instructions in the message on how to submit for the job posting.
As of the date of this publication, Los Angeles County and most other jurisdictions remain under the stricter Part I rules.
After employment starts, Part I continues the same testing frequency under Zones A through D that were in effect under the prior RTW Agreement, regardless of vaccination status. Working conditions for motion picture workers now fall into two different sets of rules – Part I and Part II – under the newly-negotiated revisions. Part I contains more restrictive rules, while Part II contains more relaxed rules, and their applicability depends on the COVID-19 infection rate in the production’s geographic location. Last year, in September 2020, the AMPTP and the industry’s Unions issued a Return-to-Work Agreement setting forth protocols for COVID-19 safety for motion picture production.
Latest COVID Safety Agreement Extension Loosens Rules When Hospital Admissions Low
The agreement states that the «Producer will stagger testing of “Zone B” employees, so that one-half of the “Zone B” employees on a production are tested in one week, and the other half is tested in the following week.» The revised RTW Agreement includes additional relaxation of COVID-19 safety rules at the workplace, such as less restrictive face mask and physical distancing requirements for fully-vaccinated people in certain situations and allowing buffet-style meals for the fully vaccinated. The Agreement is set to expire on September 30, 2021, at which time the parties are expected to meet again to discuss a further extension and corresponding modifications based on the then-current pandemic climate. While the protocols have reduced outbreaks on film sets, according to data from the Motion Picture Assn., Southern California-based studios such as Warner Bros. are dealing with major outbreaks.
Used for all unions to pay a stipend to EE’s who have a Covid test administered at their home on a day where no work is done for the Producer. Used for all unions to pay a stipend to EE’s who must leave their home to have a Covid test administered on a day where no work is done for the Producer. To be used when an EE has been engaged to work and is required to isolate or self-quarantine on days 6-7 of the work week at the request of the Producer and is not otherwise working that day. When masks are required, individuals shall wear a KN95, KF94, N95 mask, or when there is a fit issue, a well-fitting surgical mask, and such masks shall be provided by the Employer. In September 2020, the various Hollywood unions negotiated the proper conditions for production to resume safely after the pandemic shut down most production in March of that year.
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Mandatory pre-employment COVID-19 testing will remain for the current time, and the test result must be negative to be allowed onto the set. However, testing negative does not automatically mean that you are booked to work, and you will still need to receive formal booking details from Central Casting to be considered booked. At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above.
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Studio teachers and any other person who come in close contact with minors on the set will also need to be fully vaccinated, if the Producer elects to have a mandatory vaccination policy. On July 19, 2021, the AMPTP and the Unions issued revisions to the Return to Work Agreement, which sets forth rules impacting workers who work on the production sets of Producers who are signatory to the Agreement. This includes new or revised rules that impact workers in Zone A on the production set. Zone A workers include performers, Background Actors, and all other employees who are present in a workspace with a performer or Background Actor while they are not wearing personal protective equipment in front of the camera. It is because performers and Background Actors must often work without personal protective equipment that these additional safety rules are now in effect. The COVID-19 Safety Agreement is a living document designed to help the entertainment industry adapt to the evolving needs of its labor force.
County Department of Public Health, just a month after the Burbank-based studio started asking employees to come back to the office for at least three days a week. Fully vaccinated workers may still be required to periodically test depending on how many days per week they work and where they work on set – though now at a reduced frequency compared to the prior agreement. a synthetic derivative of the kudzu vine can Between the AMPTP, DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and Teamsters/Basic Crafts was signed in September 2020 and established COVID-19 safety protocols for guild productions. Masking requirements for Zone A workers remain unchanged, meaning Zone A workers will still need to follow the Producer’s requirements for masking and other safety protocols while on the production set.