“Hollywood told everyone, ‘You cannot work without this vaccine.’ And everyone fell right in line. Even if it was a fake card, you were complying under pressure just in kind of a surreptitious way. So what are they going to ask next? What are they going to require next? They already know that they can do it. All they have to do is just hold the paycheck. That's all it took. So, you know, people have to start questioning.”
In this episode of the New York Mandate Podcast, I talk with Stanley, an Emmy-award-winning hairstylist who has worked for over 30 years in the entertainment industry. He was barred from working on productions after both industry and New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandates went into effect.
Stanley talked with me about how pandemic safety protocols and vaccine mandates were implemented in the entertainment industry, the role of unions, and the widespread use of counterfeit vaccine cards.
Stanley also told me about how workers were required to wear color-coded stickers on their badges to indicate their vaccination status in 2021, before the full vaccine mandate went into effect. You can see some examples here:
Here are some links related to things we talked about during the episode:
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE)
This union represents over 168,000 workers in theater, motion picture, and television production, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting, and concerts, as well as equipment and construction shops that support the entertainment industry.
Order of the Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene to Require COVID-19 Vaccination in the Workplace
This is the order that former Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi issued on December 13, 2021 requiring all workers in New York City who work in a workplace or interact with other workers or the public to be vaccinated. It went into effect on December 27, 2021, covering nearly all private-sector workers in New York City, and was lifted on November 1, 2022.
Mandatory Vaccinations On Productions An Option Under Return-To-Work Protocols – Update
This July 2021 article in Deadline reports on the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the entertainment industry.
Oscars: COVID-19 Vaccination Will Not Be Required for In-Person Attendees
Stanley mentioned this article in The Hollywood Reporter, which reports on the fact that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences did not require performers and presenters to present proof of vaccination at its annual award show in 2022.
Hollywood’s High-Stakes Strike: Actors and Writers Make History With Bid to Reshape Industry
When Stanley and I spoke earlier this week, entertainment industry writers were already on strike. Performers joined them soon after. This article from The Hollywood Reporter reports on the combined strike, which has effectively shut down the entertainment industry.
About the New York Mandate Podcast
The New York Mandate Podcast is an ongoing series of conversations exploring the costs and consequences of vaccine mandates in New York City. I talk with workers, students, and parents who have been directly affected by the mandates, as well as legal and policy experts.
In late 2021, the City introduced a series of requirements for workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. These requirements were put in place through executive orders issued by the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. They covered nearly all workers in New York City, in both the public and private sectors. They also barred unvaccinated adults, including parents, from schools.
Current mayor Eric Adams kept the mandates in place until November 1, 2022 for the private sector and February 10, 2023 for City workers, and has encouraged private employers to put their own vaccine requirements in place.
The views expressed in the New York Mandate podcast are the personal opinions of the people speaking, and are not intended to provide medical or legal advice.
Join the Conversation
Have you lost your job, been put on leave, or lost opportunities to work as an independent contractor as a result of your decision not to comply with a vaccine mandate in New York? Did you take a vaccine against your wishes in order to keep your job? Please get in touch with me at NYMpodcast@protonmail.com.
New York Mandate Podcast, Ep. 40: Entertainment Industry Hairstylist Stanley