Film Labor Unions Collaborate on Return-to-Work Agreement

Film professionals and studios agree to implement COVID-19 protocols and return to production.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and Hollywood’s unions have agreed to resume production in the COVID-19 era with expanded sick leave, safety protocols and increased testing. Representatives from Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, HBO Max, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. undertook four months of negotiations to settle on return-to-work protocols that would benefit creative workers hit especially hard by the ongoing pandemic. According to AMPTP president Carol Lombardini:

“As a consequence of the agreement, the studios will be making a substantial investment in testing, redesigned workplaces, COVID-19 sick leave, quarantine pay and other safeguards designed to facilitate the safe resumption of production and enable the industry to recover and grow.”

Specifics of the agreement include:

• Employees who are required to quarantine or isolate at the request of a production must receive quarantine pay.
• All employees will receive 10 days of COVID-19 sick leave.These 10 days can be used if the employee tests positive, exhibits symptoms, self-quarantines or when another member of their household tests positive.
• All cast and crew will undergo a COVID-19 test before filming begins and will be repeatedly tested throughout the production. These will be lab-based PCR tests, and antigen or antibody tests will not be acceptable.
• Productions will implement a “zone” system that that establishes A, B, C and D areas based on proximity to cast, level of testing, PPE and the extent to which physical distancing can be observed in the performance of their work.
• Each production will have at least one assigned COVID-19 compliance officer who will ensure that the zone system is properly implemented, social distancing is followed and all team members are aware of guideline updates.