Our Union takes allegations of sexual harassment and abuse extremely seriously, and we work every day to ensure that all musicians have the support they need to thrive. Sexual harassment and abuse are an unfortunate reality of the music industry, creating a culture and environment of fear, pain and inequality. Though employers are responsible under both Title VII and their collective bargaining agreements to provide safe workplaces for all workers, many musicians nevertheless have been subject to sexual harassment and abuse, and have not reported what has occurred for fear of retaliation. In response to recent revelations concerning sexual harassment in our industry, Local 802 has strengthened its Sexual Harassment Response Procedure in order to allow members to report allegations of harassment directly to union representatives.

Under this procedure, members may report complaints of sexual harassment directly to musicians in positions of authority such as committee chairs or member leaders. Musicians who are not part of an ensemble with a committee or leader, or who are otherwise uncomfortable speaking with a committee chair, should contact a Local 802 business rep directly, who will then work to take the steps necessary to ensure that musicians have the resources they need to feel safe and thrive. Call (212) 245-4802 and ask for any business rep, or ask for extension 260 to leave a message on the Local 802 hotline, which is checked every day.

The Local 802 sexual harassment procedure is designed to provide support to individual members who have experienced sexual harassment, while also providing the opportunity to address systemic issues in our industry through collective bargaining, contract enforcement, public disclosure, and/or workplace education. This strengthened procedure is accompanied by proactive measures to address sexual harassment in the workplace. On Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. at Local 802, officials from the New York City Commission on Human Rights, as well as experts from the Actors’ Fund, will help lead a discussion about sexual harassment in the workplace and in the arts, as well as ways that our community can effectively address these issues. We invite all Local 802 members to join us in this discussion. See the meeting announcement in our event calendar.