The National Board of SAG-AFTRA today voted to approve a temporary agreement on a new $ 1 billion-a-year commercial contract and to recommend its approval to members of the Guild. The agreement, which was approved by 93% of the members of the National Board, reached the Joint Policy Committee of the Advertising Industry on Tuesday. Bargaining continues in New York on 16 February.
According to the Guild, the contract is valued at an additional $ 120 million over three years, effectively increasing wage and benefit contributions by 5.55%. Increased Mixed Contribution Rate to 2022 Agreement Effectively Increases Contribution Rate to SAG-AFTRA Health Plan 1.01%.
“The agreement sets flat rates, rates per cycle across a wide range of digital and traditional media, setting new standards for diversity and equity; And creates enhanced protection for actors involved in nude, partially nude or intimate work, ”the Guild said, adding that“ monetization of streaming indexes over the past two years has ensured a fair compensation structure, protected members’ earnings and promoted union-dominated commercial growth. . “
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator, said: “The agreement will significantly increase our members’ earnings and their contribution to the SAG-AFTRA health plan. “They bring meaningful change, recognizing the rapid transformation of the digital future, protecting our members and keeping our agreements relevant. These agreements also underscore SAG-AFTRA’s broader vision of technology and the future: through strong organization and unity across our unions, we can leverage technology to our members both in their careers and in the way the union provides services. . I express my deep gratitude to Gabriel Carteris, National Chair of our Discussion Committee, a member of our irresistible committee, and to our extraordinary staff; We could never have achieved this without their team effort. “
The Guild said the talks were “the culmination of three years of work aimed at adapting and transforming the growing dominance of digital platforms. It includes significant structural changes so the work under our agreement is effective and attractive for employers, while protecting them while working in traditional media and Significantly improves provisions in the growing digital space. “
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, said the new agreement would take the commercial agreement to the “digital age”. Thanking Cartris and the negotiating committee, he said: “It was seven stressful weeks long hours and imaginative thinking out of the box to move commercial contracts into the digital age. We have also made great strides in the field that hair and makeup artists must have experience working with people of color, further exemplifying our relentless efforts towards the inclusion, diversity and equity of SAG-AFTRA members.
“In addition, there is language in this time of step-up that gives special attention and sensitivity to the actors being asked to go nude or wear revealing clothes. Importantly, the audition process has been redefined and the boundaries have been reset to a greater advantage for performers who have so far benefited from an uncontrolled self-tapping audition process. A new baseline has been set for construction. Front and top. Bravo to the committee to achieve this difficult task. “
“These were challenging discussions,” Cartris said. “We have heard members’ interests and concerns about this agreement, and are laser-focused on achieving meaningful wages and benefits, and modernizing the agreement with an external enhancement of digital income now and in the ever-expanding digital future. I would like to acknowledge and thank the members and staff of the discussion committee for their efforts and innovations. National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Chief Contracting Officer and Chief Negotiator Ray Rodriguez were dedicated to the distribution of members and their diligent and inspiring work extends to every provision of the contract. “
According to the Guild, the key provisions of the agreement include:
* 10% increase in scale in the first year of the contract (consolidated).
* Setting flat fees, per-cycle rates across a wide range of digital and traditional media, makes the deal easy to use
Improving the ability for employers and performers to track and ensure that their payments are accurate.
The new rates result in a net profit of about 5.55% over three years, valued at $ 120 million.
* New, higher paid segments for streaming platforms (e.g. Hulu, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Disney +, etc.).
* Significant increase in contribution to the Benefit Plan – equivalent to the additional 1.01% contribution indicated for
SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
* Equality of rates for Spanish-language advertising, maintaining only a separate program fee.
* Class A usage payments decreased by 5% in return for an increase in the digital payment structure. Every usage rate is maintained, with
13 20,000 / $ 15,000 cap per 13-week cycle, for advertisers and agencies only.
* A new mitigation fund that addresses the actors most affected by the use-fee cap. Funds will be disbursed
Actors whose ads run the most in A class.
* New rules for self-tapping and live-remote auditions apply to the principles applicable to individual auditions. This
Related protections include:
Repeated self-tapping
Party 24 hours in advance
No requests for unsafe activity
No more than one location
No angle changes in an eclipse
No makeup or styling changes
There are no special equipment or payment services for auditions
Necessary waiting room and notice of delay
* With new rules for nudity and intimate scenes:
* No nude auditions
* Advance notice of any need to perform nude or partial nude with the power to refuse work and even if paid for the day
Requirements are not met.
* Call sheet to include SAG-AFTRA harassment reporting information.
* Digital duplication cannot be used to avoid contract terms.
* For the first time, contractual requirements will be considered for hair and make-up workers to be able to work with different performers.
“Eligible”
* Improvement of provisions for deaf and hard of hearing performers.
* Extra protection for minor actors.
* Improvements for vocal contractors, choreographers and assistant choreographers.
* Extra compensation for background performers Additional examples of stunt rides and hazardous work, triggering
Additional compensation.
* Protection against the need for auditors to sign unilateral, overly aggressive privacy agreements at auditions.
* Actors must now say during the audition if the producer will apply any discount.
* Amended rules on language restrictions that prevent actors from being sued for unpaid use until the commercial ends
Dead.
The national referendum for the approval of the trade agreement will be conducted through an online vote. Traditional paper ballots will also be available upon request. Members who are eligible to vote will receive a postcard with ballot instructions explaining how to vote electronically or how to request a paper ballot. The postcard will be mailed to members on or after April 14th. Confirmation votes received by the 5 May PT voting deadline will be tabled on the same day.
Informative meetings for members across the country will be held online on April 19 and April 26 to discuss the interim agreement. Contract information will also be posted online before the ballot period.
The current agreement remains in force during the member ratification process. Provisions covering the Terms of Service come into force 30 days after approval and the rate is effective prior to April 1, 2022. The new structure will take effect on June 1, 2022
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