A group of more than four hundred TV writers, creators, and showrunners are calling on streaming platforms like Apple TV+, demanding better protections for workers in anti-abortion states. According to Variety, letters have been sent to Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Warner Bros., and others.
Among the signatories are Issa Rae, Amy Schumer, Mindy Kaling, Shonda Rhimes, Natasha Lyonne, and Lena Dunham. These letters demand specific safety measures for workers in states that have banned abortion. This move comes after the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June.
Included in the letter to Netflix:
It is unacceptable to ask any person to choose between their human rights and their employment. This situation raises basic matters of equality, health, and safety in the workplace. Many of us would not have the careers and families we have today if we had not been granted the freedom to choose what was best for ourselves. We are committed, as a group, to protecting our fundamental human rights and those of our colleagues.
Engadget reports the group demands that these production companies respond with detailed abortion safety plans within the next 10 days. The writers also want information on abortion travel subsidies; medical care for pregnancy complications, which should include ectopic pregnancies; and legal protections for employees who support the studio’s policies or who help someone acquire an abortion. In addition, the letters ask for a halt to “all political donations to anti-abortion candidates and political action committees.”
Apple has already publicized its present stance in light of the recent Supreme Court decision.
Apple said it supports employee’s rights to make their own choices about their reproductive health. It reiterated that its company health benefits include paying for out-of-state travel for procedures, if care is unavailable in their own state.
The Variety and Engadget articles also state that several of these studios film in Georgia, a state that offers generous tax incentives for productions. Previously, several studios noted they’d consider filming elsewhere if Georgia’s “heartbeat” abortion ban took effect. Last week a federal appeals court lifted the injunction against the law, says Variety. As of right now, studios will only reimburse travel expenses for employees who need to leave the state to have an abortion. Currently, the state bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
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