Two years after SAG-AFTRA first expressed its desire to integrate intimacy coordinators into the union, the union group has taken a first step toward making that goal a reality.
The performers union said Wednesday it has filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. SAG-AFTRA is seeking to negotiate nationally on behalf of intimacy coordinators employed by Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers member companies, major studios and entertainment industry streamers.
The move comes after the union spent years trying to regulate the burgeoning professional space, which has surged in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Intimacy coordinators are responsible for choreographing intimate scenes and scenes involving nudity on sets, as well as facilitating dialogue between artists and creatives about the work.
“Working in scenes that involve nudity or physical intimacy is one of the most vulnerable jobs an actor can have. Intimacy coordinators not only assist in managing these scenes, they also create a safety net for performers, ensuring consent and protection throughout the entire process,” SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said in a statement. “Intimacy coordinators support us on set, and now it’s our turn to support theirs.”
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said the union has requested voluntary recognition of the AMPTP. The Hollywood Reporter contacted AMPTP for comment.
Over the past few years, after HBO became the first brand to require these professionals in scenes involving intimacy, SAG-AFTRA has launched several initiatives ostensibly aimed at professionalizing the space. In 2020, the union released requirements and protocols for intimacy coordinators, followed by accreditation for several training programs in 2022.
In a statement, the SAG-AFTRA Intimacy Coordinators Organizing Committee said the group is seeking the standard protections afforded to other unionized entertainment professions. “Joining SAG-AFTRA will ensure the sustainability of our profession,” the committee said. “Right now, intimacy coordinators are working without any protections and without standardized wages or benefits. We do this work because we love it, but a solid career path needs more than that to sustain itself.”