SAG-AFTRA to organise intimacy coordinators

SAG-AFTRA announced yesterday (September 25) that the union filed an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board to represent intimacy coordinators employed by the AMPTP companies.

In a statement, SAG-AFTRA said: "Organising intimacy coordinators is the natural evolution of the union’s commitment to help build a stable and safe future for our members. In the years following the #MeToo movement, the union has supported intimacy coordinators through key initiatives including the creation of Standards and Protocols for Use of Intimacy Coordinators on Set, and Standards for Qualification, Training and Vetting. "

“Working in scenes involving nudity or physical intimacy is some of the most vulnerable work an actor can do. Intimacy coordinators not only provide assistance in navigating these scenes but they also create a safetynet for performers ensuring consent and protection throughout the entire process,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “Shifting the power imbalance that has been ingrained over a century is challenging but important work. Work that can be done even more effectively with the backing of a union. Intimacy coordinators have our backs on set and now it’s our turn to have theirs.” 

“Intimacy coordinators are important partners for our members when they are working on some of the most vulnerable scenes possible,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “As part of our union, they’ll have the strength of our 160,000 members standing behind them when they sit down to negotiate a deal that will bolster the foundation of this role, create job opportunities, safely expand and ensure diversification of the talent pool and improve safety on set.” 

Intimacy coordinators work closely with performers and production on TV, theatrical and streaming productions that require performances involving nudity, simulated sex and other intimate scenes. Their expertise is invaluable in creating a safe and respectful working environment. 

The organizing committee said, “Being part of SAG-AFTRA will ensure the sustainability of our profession. Right now, intimacy coordinators work without any protections and without standardized wages or benefits. We do this work because we love it, but a strong career path needs more than that to sustain it.”

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