Although COVID-19 cases have declined steadily over the past two months in Los Angeles and across the US, Hollywood labor unions and studios have agreed to increase enforcement of COVID-19 safety protocols on production sets as they begin a new Continuing negotiations on the agreement.
“The Directors Guild of America (DGA), the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and Hollywood Basic Crafts, and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), have Today announced the continuation of discussions with AMPTP to continue negotiations on a return to work agreement,” Guilds said in a joint statement.
“The current agreement, which was due to expire earlier today, 30 September, will remain in place until a new agreement is reached.”
The work to work agreement, which outlines protocols on wearing masks, social distancing, vaccine mandates and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on set, is in effect since shooting resumed in September 2020.
This is the ninth time in the last two years that some major amendments have been made, extending the return to work agreement. The first major change came in July 2021, when unions agreed to give studios the option on a “production-by-production basis” to require vaccination between cast and crew working in “Zone A”, where the filming takes place.
The second major change came last May, when new provisions were added to loosen testing and mask requirements for production shootings in areas with low COVID-19 hospitalization rates.
Labor sources have told TheWrap that when and how to phase out a work-to-work agreement is not necessarily tied to state and federal changes to COVID-19 protocols, and that enforcement of the measures has so far been that way.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control continued easing COVID-19 safety recommendations, no longer recommending universal masking in hospitals and other health care settings, unless they follow the “transmission level” set by the CDC scale. Do not be in areas experiencing “high rates”. Currently 73% of the US falls into that category.