Canadian entertainment organizations have responded to the recent flood of sexual misconduct allegations with a new collective code of conduct that is a 鈥渓iving document鈥� with room for updating.

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of Canada, the Writers Guild of Canada, and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are among some 25 groups that have signed on to the code, which was unveiled Thursday.

鈥淭here are obviously codes that exist within various organizations and unions and guilds, but this one is the only one in the world currently where the entire industry has stepped up and agreed to the same language,鈥� ACTRA National president David Sparrow, who has been leading a working group for the code, said in a phone interview.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 something that鈥檚 not happening south of the border currently and is happening here, so I think it speaks of the strong desire of the Canadian industry to address these issues.鈥�

The Canadian Creative Industries Code of Conduct says it鈥檚 intended 鈥渢o help prevent and respond to harassment including sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence.鈥�

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Through various stipulations, it stresses 鈥渮ero tolerance, proportional consequences, consent-based interactions and no retaliation,鈥� and calls on signatories to 鈥渆ncourage good-faith reporting and timely investigations.鈥�

The code better defines what is the workplace and what鈥檚 considered a work-related activity, such as awards ceremonies, casting meetings and industry events. It also identifies gender equality and diversity as paths to changing behaviour.

鈥淗arassment in the workplace is a serious problem that too many women have faced in our cultural sector and in our society,鈥� Simon Ross, a spokesman for Heritage Minister Melanie Joly, said Thursday in a statement.

鈥淥ur artists and creative industries have proven their leadership on this issue: they have acknowledged the problem and took swift action to address it. The code of conduct presented today sets a precedent and will make a real difference to ensuring a safe work environment for all.鈥�

Sparrow said there is no legislation that would make the code mandatory, but unions and guilds have the option to work it into their collective agreements.

Those who fail to meet the specifics or the goals of the code, or transgress it, will be held accountable by the rest of the industry.

That could be 鈥渢hrough either 鈥� naming and shaming or through just the idea of moral suasion: 鈥楬ey Jimmy, you signed onto this code and now you鈥檙e transgressing them and we鈥檙e not going to be able to work with you anymore,鈥欌�� Sparrow said.

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Other steps outlined in the code include:

鈥� When work requires physical contact or scenes of nudity, intimacy or violence, adhere to applicable respectful workplace policies and collective agreement obligations.

鈥� Provide safe places where work may be performed for example, by not requiring individuals to attend meetings alone or in spaces such as private hotel rooms.

鈥� Encourage instructors, teachers, coaches and those providing training in the industry to adhere to this code and share its principles with their students.

A working group has been creating the code since Nov. 23, when the organizations also committed to creating safer reporting measures and industry-wide education and training.

鈥淭he hope is that this code will be printed up and laminated and hanging in every craft service truck and in every audition room and every union office and workplace that we can possibly get it into so that everyone within the industry sees their responsibility hanging right there on the wall and reference it,鈥� Sparrow said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 why we went with a code that鈥檚 got bullet points and a fair amount of neutral space 鈥� so that people can read it while they make a peanut butter sandwich in the craft truck and know that they have to change their behaviour.鈥�

About 30 different representatives of the music industry met last week in Toronto to talk about creating their own code of conduct.

Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press

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