Hollywood unions and producers agree to extend Covid safety protocols until April 1 – Deadline

Hollywood unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers have agreed to extend their Covid protocols through April 1, with only minor changes, including the elimination of pre-employment and weekly Covid testing for some members of crew.

The protocols will keep in place a mandate that gives employers the limited ability to require vaccinations as a condition of employment. Deadline exclusively reported on Thursday that the unions and AMPTP were in talks to extend the protocols, which were set to expire on Jan. 31.

Unions that have signed the new agreement include DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40 and LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local

In a joint statement, the unions said:

“The new agreement maintains the fundamental principles and practical approaches that have allowed the industry to operate safely since soon after the start of the pandemic,” the unions said. “This expansion maintains core protocols in case the current situation changes quickly while allowing for additional changes to reflect improving conditions in most regions.

“Specifically, there are no changes to Part 1 of the agreement, which requires the strictest protocols to be implemented on productions performing in any metropolitan area or county with 14 admissions to Covid-19 hospital or more per 100,000 population. Currently, most production areas are working under Part II of the agreement or expected to be shortly, however, should conditions change with a further increase in cases, more efficient protocols and more efficient would be needed.

“The new agreement has the following two specific changes to Part II, which are the protocols under which most productions currently work. For Zones B and C, pre-employment testing is no longer required. Additionally, weekly testing is no longer required for Area B employees, however, if an Area B (or C) employee has come into “close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, the producer is required to carry out a Covid-19 test made available to the employee at his request. There are no changes to the agreement regarding Zone A testing.

“In addition, the agreement grants a bank of five additional sick days and no longer requires the Covid Compliance Supervisor to be physically present on production, provided a member of the compliance team is accessible by phone. any time during working hours.

“Apart from these amendments, all other provisions remain in full force and effect. In any case, the full set of stricter protocols will be reintroduced in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak. The parties will continue to closely monitor the development of COVID-19. »

First adopted in September 2020 after a months-long production shutdown, the Covid-19 safety agreement is the result of unprecedented coordination and solidarity between unions and collaboration with employers . The agreement reflects science-based protocols that minimize the risk of Covid virus transmission in the industry’s unique work environments. The protocols have resulted in a successful rebound in film and television production while prioritizing the safety of cast, crew and industry workers.

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The protocols allowed jobs and productions to rebound from an industry-wide lockdown at the start of the pandemic. The protocols were originally scheduled to expire on April 30, 2021, but were extended without major changes and contained all of the provisions of the original agreement. They were extended again on June 30, 2021, and amended three weeks later to give producers “the option to implement mandatory vaccination policies for cast and crew in Area A, production by production.” Area A, where unmasked actors work, is the most restrictive of the secure working areas on the sets. They were extended again on November 11, 2021, January 24, 2022, then February 16, April 29, May 6 and September 30.

The mandate is “subject to reasonable accommodation required by law for persons who cannot be vaccinated because of disability or sincere religious belief, practice or observance”. But many opponents of the vaccination mandate say these exceptions are too rarely allowed.