Some of the biggest showunners and writers in the TV industry are calling for companies to protect pregnant employees who are working in states that have outlawed abortion in the wake of overturning Roe v. Wade.
The letter they sent to top executives at some of the industry’s biggest players, obtained and shared by Variety, is signed by A-list talent such as Shonda Rhimes, Issa Rae, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Natasha Lyonne, Ava DuVernay, and over four hundred others.
“We, the undersigned, are 411 show creators, showrunners and head writers who currently work across every network and streaming platform in the industry today, including those controlled by Netflix,” the letter starts. “It is unacceptable to ask any person to choose between their human rights and their employment.”
They explain that they are concerned about the lack of protocols in place to protect their employees. They note that companies like Netflix are “currently in progress in states where abortion is illegal or pending criminalization.”
The terms they ask for are:
● Published policies and procedures to provide an abortion travel subsidy for employees of your productions including specific information on how the employee’s medical privacy will be safeguarded.
● Protocols outlining the scope of medical care for employees of your productions, including ectopic pregnancies and other pregnancy complications that require medical treatment via abortion while working for Netflix.
● Policy regarding criminal and civil legal protection, including indemnification and defense against liability, for any member of a production who facilitates Netflix’s protocols or provides Netflix’s policy information and guidelines to an employee seeking an abortion.
● Pledge to discontinue all political donations to anti-abortion candidates and political action committees immediately.
This a huge stance, and considering that people like Shonda Rhimes are responsible for their biggest international works, where they draw a lot of their revenue, I hope they will feel prompted to act in response. The letter also makes it clear that “immediate written response is required and expected within ten business days of July 28th, 2022.”
While the letter shared with Variety is Netflix-focused, they note letters were sent to Paramount, Lionsgate, Amazon, Disney, Warner Bros., AMC, and more.
(via Variety, image: Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
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