Open Letter to the Leadership of IATSE 891 Summary
Important points raised in the letter for increased accessibility to a wider audience. Please send out to members to gain more ground.
We represent hundreds of members that expressed growing concerns regarding the over reach of productions and studios in regards to workers rights abuses in the workplace specifically around COVID-19 mandates.
Information continues to be released that does not support the increasing mandates that we are experiencing in the film industry in B.C. as COVID-19 moves to endemic. An increasing number of productions are pushing for vaccine mandates, with the unions allowing these measures without examining the workers’ rights implications. The common thread along union statements is that employers are exercising their rights under the Labour Code to protect workers and provide a safe workplace.
We urge the leadership of IATSE 891 and the BCCFU to review the COVID-19 vaccination policies and stand against them as they are an affront to individual workers right to informed consent, bodily autonomy and privacy of their health. These measures are a threat to the livelihoods of our members and opens the possibility that a permit may be hired above a member over vaccination status. The level of testing and masking policies has been arduous, expensive, restrictive and has been mostly proven ineffective in mitigating the transmission and contraction of COVID-19 infection.
This group's concern is not about vaccinated vs unvaccinated. Our concern is regarding workers rights abuses and if it's not vaccination policies now, what will the next issue be? To be clear - we fully support and encourage members to take control of their own medical safety. We believe that productions and studios should maintain the accessibility of these policies (masking, testing, vaccinations) for those who want to voluntarily be a part of them. We fully support members who want to wear a mask, be tested, and take the vaccination for their own medical security.
We ask that IATSE 891 stand on the side of workers rights and social liberties, denounce the mandates implemented on set, and make the work environment positive, productive, and safe for all members.
Read the full open letter at:
In solidarity with Members and Workers’ Rights,
Workers’ Rights United
worker.rights.united@outlook.com
@WUnited891 on Twitter