A Message From NY Local President Ezra Knight

Dear Member,

Your incredible showing of strength and union solidarity is vital and inspirational! Thank you SAG-AFTRA members for overwhelmingly approving the TV/Theatrical/Streaming strike authorization last week. Thank you also to everyone who has shown support for the WGA during their strike. Whether you walked a picket line, posted to social media, or shared your support with your community- or all of the above, every bit has helped bolster the cause. It has been incredible to see our union members engage with these critical issues for the future of our professions and the industry.

There is also good news to report from the 2023 New York State end-of-legislative session which saw numerous gains for legislation that supports SAG-AFTRA members. We commend Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and our New York State Senators and Assembly Members for passing laws that keep our members safe. Here are a few of the important bills that passed which, if signed into law, will protect our members from now into the future:

• S.1042-A/A.3596-A - Prohibits unlawful dissemination or publication of intimate images created by digitization and of sexually explicit depictions of an individual. While the law already provides a civil remedy against the dissemination of these images, this bill adds the weight of state criminal law to the prohibition. Thank you to Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assembly Member Amy Paulin for their sponsorship of this measure.
• S.4982/A.6604 - Protects employee freedom of speech & conscience by addressing the long history of employers using so-called “captive audience” meetings to force their views on personal decisions related to religion, health care, politics, or joining civic or fraternal organizations or labor unions. This bill prevents employers from taking adverse actions against their employees for refusing to participate in such meetings. No worker should feel compelled to attend these meetings for fear of retaliation. Thank you to Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Karines Reyes for their sponsorship of this bill.
• S.4516/A.581 - Prohibits workplace sexual harassment settlements from subjecting victims to compelled nondisclosure agreements with liquidated damages provisions. By eliminating this legal shield for perpetrators, this bill empowers victims to speak out and share their stories, thereby shining a light on abusers and their actions to break the cycle. Thank you to Senator Nathalia Fernandez and Assembly Member Nily Rozic for their sponsorship of this legislation.
• S.3255/A.501 - Extends the administrative statute of limitations for any unlawful discrimination practice claim from one year to three years. This legislation will strengthen the civil rights of New Yorkers, empower individuals who have experienced harassment, and will allow more time to bring perpetrators to justice, and we thank Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Nily Rozic for sponsoring this bill. 
• S.7394-A/A.7632 - Creates an early vote mail-in ballot system. This expansion of access would make New York a leader in engaging its electorate by opening up greater opportunities for all voters to have their choices made on the ballot. Thank you to Senator Mike Gianaris and Assembly Member Karines Reyes for their sponsorship of this bill.
• A.1283/S.108-A - Advances an Equal Rights Constitutional Amendment (“ERA”) to a statewide public referendum in 2024. The ERA establishes state constitutional protections against discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, and sex (which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy). We thank Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright for sponsoring this proposed Constitutional Amendment.

Forward together,

Ezra Knight

New York Local President