A letter signed by AMC Networks, Amazon , Apple TV+, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, the Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery named few specific abortion protections for employees working in post-Roe America. The letter, obtained by Variety, was in response to over 1,000 TV creatives demanding safe, legal access to abortion for their employees as well as for studios to “discontinue all political donations to anti-abortion candidates and political action committees immediately.†The original 411 TV writers demanded a response to their letter within ten days, and the studios were prompt in their somewhat vague reply. In response to demands for logistical and legal support for pregnant employees seeking reproductive care, the studios said the burden lay with corporate health plans and with unions. “Each of our individually designed corporate health plans provides comprehensive health-care coverage for our respective employees,†they wrote. “We have been independently updating our respective employees — who live and work throughout the country — as plans and policies change and expand to provide reproductive care and other support now needed in states that have restricted or outlawed abortion access.â€
One specific was addressed: travel reimbursement for those seeking out-of-state reproductive care. The letter assured workers that some corporate health plans, “in partnership with … the union trustees on those plans,†have already added travel reimbursements for those seeking abortions. However, the letter did not discuss what support those employees would receive if they were prosecuted in the state they were working in, aside from a nod to the Fourth Amendment in the sign-off: “We want to assure you that we are individually focused on supporting the health, safety, well-being, and privacy of our respective employees and those who support our productions as we continue to monitor this evolving situation,†the letter read. “We look forward to working with you to continue to make great content for our audiences around the world.†No mention was made of any plans to stop funding anti-abortion candidates and PACs.