New Union of BC Performers Contract Addresses Sexual Harassment

Filming underway for A&E's Bates Motel, which was shot in Aldergrove and the Fraser Valley. | Image: The Globe and Mail.

Members of the Union of BC Performers (UBCP) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new contract which includes measures against sexual harassment, the Vancouver Sun reports. The new agreement prohibits one-on-one auditions and meetings in private residences, where performers may be vulnerable.

The new contract also revises rules around compensation for work on digital platforms, and includes protection for performers who experience fatigue at the end of their work day. The latter provision follows an incident in which Riverdale star K.J. Apa fell asleep while driving after an extended work day in Vancouver.

The contract, which expires in 2021 and includes a nine percent wage increase over its term, was approved by 94 percent of UBCP members. The new provisions take effect in April.