Costume Designers Guild Gains Nationwide Support From Hollywood Stars and Labor Unions for Pay Equity Demands (EXCLUSIVE)
As crew contract conversations get underway with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the Costume Designers Guild’s fight for pay equity has gained support from stars and labor groups.
Earlier this year, the guild launched Pay Equity Now, a movement designed to spotlight the organization’s decades-long fight for pay equity and gender equity.
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“Joker 2” costume designer Arianne Phillips, Mira Sorvino, Rosanna Arquette, Women In Media, Women in Film Los Angeles and ERA Coalition are among the supporters who have signed a letter of solidarity.
“Our team at the Equal Rights Advocates immediately saw the need for action after speaking with the Costume Designers Guild about the pay inequities they’ve been facing for years. We could not let this group of majority-women professionals go unheard in their advocacy for gender pay equity, and are excited to secure the support of so many other amazing social justice organizations and advocates,” noted Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates.
Co-Chair of the Pay Equity Now Steering Committee Ariyela Wald-Cohain said, “It is not a coincidence that a guild that has historically been made up of women sits near the bottom of the IATSE pay scale.” Wald-Cohain continued, “Compared to our male-dominated creative department head counterparts, costume design department heads make nearly 45% less.”
The Costume Designers Guild is seeking a new era where the designers are recognized and paid accordingly for their crucial contributions to Hollywood and the entertainment world. Last year in an effort to close the pay gap, the guild shared the pay scales to highlight the discrepancies. The data showed costume designers earn almost $1,000 less per week than production designers, their closest creative peers.
“Death and Other Details” costume designer Mandi Line said, “The Pay Equity cause is not only what’s right and correct, but it’s also what our future deserves.”
The guild letter of solidarity for equitable pay can be found below, along with a full list of signatories.
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