Following their significant labor disputes with the studios in the previous year, SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are now supporting the Fashion Workers Act, a bill aimed at improving the working conditions of models in the industry, as it moves through the legislature of New York state, Variety reported.
In a statement of approval, seen by Variety, SAG-AFTRA stated that it firmly supports the idea that all creative workers should have legal protection. The group that represents 35,000 actors, recording artists, and broadcasters, and also has connections to the modeling sector, expressed concern about the lack of protections for workers in the fashion industry, especially young women, who are at risk of various forms of abuse like economic exploitation and trafficking. The Fashion Workers Act aims to protect models in New York from abuse.
In the same way, the Writers Guild of America East also submitted a statement of support urging lawmakers in Albany to make changes. The WGAE, made up of 7,500 writers in film, TV, news, podcasts, and online media in the state, emphasized the need for New York to safeguard models and other fashion workers from exploitation, given the state's $10 billion fashion industry. The union stated that exploiting workers is never fashionable, despite the glamorous facade portrayed by the fashion industry.
The Model Alliance is promoting the Fashion Workers Act to eliminate a loophole in New York's labor laws that lets modeling agencies avoid regulations in the thriving industry. Modeling agencies do not have to prioritize their clients' best interests or share contract details and questionable deductions from earnings, which is mandatory for Hollywood talent agencies. They are not required to ensure the wellbeing of their models, most of whom are minors and travel unaccompanied to the US from non-English speaking countries. Models also lack safeguards against their pictures being analyzed and incorporated in promotions created by AI. It is common to work long hours, but receiving overtime pay is not common. The work environment is frequently characterized as predatory. Multiple models accused Harvey Weinstein.
In 2023, the Fashion Workers Act was passed by the New York Senate, however the Assembly did not vote on it before the legislative session concluded. With bipartisan backing, the Model Alliance reintroduced the bill earlier this year.
Ashley Grace, a performer and the spouse of Topher Grace, recently became a member of the Model Alliance after sharing her own personal experience. She filed a lawsuit in November alleging that a well-known photographer sexually assaulted her during a test shoot when she was 19 in 2008. If the Fashion Workers Act had been in place, she thinks her abuse could have been avoided.
Grace’s attorney Ann Olivarius from the law firm McAllister Olivarius confirmed that Ashley believed the photographer could significantly impact her career, which was never fully under her control. If models continue to be considered expendable workers with no rights and limited control over their own careers, relying on their agency and photographers, they will remain at risk of abuse.
Alyssa Sutherland, who began her career as a model before transitioning to acting and joining SAG-AFTRA, recently visited Albany to meet with legislators and discuss her journey, highlighting the notable contrasts between the two industries.
Before transitioning to acting, I spent 15 years as a model, living in constant fear throughout that period. Sutherland states that she never felt secure. "My life was controlled by my agency: squeezing nine girls into a small two-bedroom flat, treating borrowed items as loans with 5% interest, and restricting my ability to make money by demanding I lose weight."
Sutherland, known for her role as Queen Aslaug in the popular TV show "Vikings" and participated in the recent SAG-AFTRA strike, remarks: "The discrepancy in treatment I experienced as an actor was surprising to me." As an actor, I feel valued in both on set and contract negotiations. If there is ever a problem, I have a support system of my talent manager, agent, and lawyer who prioritize my emotional and physical well-being.
Sara Ziff, the founder and executive director of Model Alliance, believes that the challenges faced by models are closely linked to those faced by actors in their pursuit of better work safeguards. Several actors started out as models, with certain Hollywood #MeToo allegations focusing on individuals such as Brett Ratner and Russell Simmons, who reportedly victimized models. Ziff, who utilized the lookback window of New York's Adult Survivors Act to sue Fabrizio Lombardo, a former Miramax/Disney executive and friend of Weinstein, believes models endure hardships amidst an image of glamour and prestige.
She says the fashion industry's lack of supervision puts models, who are mostly young females, at a disadvantage in terms of basic workplace protections. "This conflict in labor, as with all others, derives its power from solidarity. The Model Alliance appreciates the support of SAG-AFTRA and WGAE and is excited to collaborate in strengthening worker solidarity across various sectors.