Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins called out the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the labor union representing thousands of performers and broadcasters, for their “discriminatory policies” toward the unvaccinated.
“Hey @sagaftra and@ActorsEquity: Way past time to end your discriminatory policies. NY Supreme Court just ruled that all unvaccinated NYC employees are ‘reinstated to their full employment’ and are ‘entitled to back pay in salary from the date of termination,'” Robbins tweeted.
The actor quoted the judge, the Hon. Ralph J. Porzio: “Being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting Covid-19. As of the day of this Decision, CDC guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.”
“Being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting Covid-19. As of the day of this Decision, CDC guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.”
-Hon. Ralph J. Porziohttps://t.co/oRyAaTzEAt…— Tim Robbins (@TimRobbins1) October 25, 2022
In an interview with independent journalist Matt Taibbi, Robbins spoke at length about the pandemic and what happens when you “eliminate the water cooler conversation” as a result of “living in a world of mandated long-term isolation.”
Commenting on the unions barring the unvaccinated not just from working, but auditioning, Robbins said, “I get it. I understand the fear. I was there. But we’ve restricted people from working for too long.”
An observation that reflects the reality in life that power once obtained is rarely conceded voluntarily.
And while it’s debatable whether Robbins has learned that lesson, he did come to learn that what people were being told about COVID-19 and the vaccine didn’t make sense.
“I totally understood it in the first year. I was compliant with everything. I locked down, I isolated, I was away from people for seven months,” he told Taibbi. “I bought into it. I demonized people. I was guilty of everything that I came to understand was not healthy.”
The actor said he was “angry at people that weren’t wearing masks, and protesting about it in Orange County,” but pointed out the “hypocrisy” of him protesting for BLM in the streets a month later with a mask on — Robbins does not appear to comment on the fact than BLM has proven to be little more than a scam, a shake down of corporate America for millions, some of which went to improve the lives of organizers.
“I had a really good friend that died from it early on,” Robbins explained. “I was angry. I was fearful, and I did everything I could to help stop the spread, but also I kept my eyes open and at my age, I think one of the most important things that I’ve been able to do is understand that I’m not right all the time, and I have to check myself and see where the hypocrisy lay. So I started having more questions.”
“Soon it’s a year on, and two years on, and people are still stuck with these restrictions despite the fact that we now know that the vaccine didn’t stop transmission and didn’t stop people from getting it,” he continued. “Once the CDC changes policy and says basically that both the vaccinated and the unvaccinated are capable of getting Covid, the restrictions don’t make sense anymore, particularly regarding employment.”
Robbins noted that a lot of people in SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity had their livelihoods threatened when they “were kept from auditioning for the past two and a half years, and really still are today.”
“They can’t participate yet. There’s no rhyme or reason with it,” he said. “I think people are holding on because there’s still a fear, but it’s too long now.”
Stating that he is “not against the vaccine,” the actor said “if you believe that the vaccines have helped you, then all power to you.”
If for some reason you didn’t vaccinate and you made it through this, all power to you too,” he added. “You shouldn’t be excluded from society for doing that. I am a hundred percent sure of that. I think that was a mistake. I think it was done out of fear. I forgive it, but to continue it at this point is irrational, in my opinion.”
“No one has stood up for people who might be immunocompromised, or couldn’t take the vaccine, or people that are just holistic and don’t take any kind of medicine at all,” Robbins said. “Or people — this is the most important one — people that have had Covid and have natural immunity.
“The other thing is, where does this end?” he asked. “How many boosters do you have to get to remain eligible for work? How long do we extend this?”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
- ‘Sit this one out’: Kamala Harris ‘Community Noted’ all the way back to San Francisco - April 23, 2024
- Alec Baldwin accosted in NYC coffee shop by anti-Israel protester, slaps phone out of her hand - April 23, 2024
- ‘They want Trump dead’: MTG spells out how jail would trigger murder of unprotected ex-president - April 23, 2024
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.