Lesli Linka Glatter, president of the DGA, says at the DGA awards: The guild will “fight with all its might for a fair film and television contract”.

Lesli Linka Glatter, President of the Directors Guild, speaks at the 75th…^e Annual DGA Awards, promising later this spring that the guild will “fight like crazy” to win a fair film and television deal — and not just for current members, but for generations to come.

“These negotiations are about more than just negotiating a strong contract for the next three years – it’s about setting the course for the future of our industry,” she told members, nominees and guests who attended the grand ballroom of the Beverly Hilton. “The DGA is prepared and ready to fight for an excellent deal to protect the future of the drivers and their teams – and that is exactly what we will achieve.”

Earlier this month, DGA leaders informed their members that DGA will not be the first guild at the negotiating table with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers this year, as “studios are not yet ready to address our key issues.” This is a break with recent tradition, as the DGA preceded the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in each of the last three three-year bargaining cycles. The last time DGA was not first was in 2010, when SAG and AFTRA came to the negotiating table first before the merger. The WGA’s last victory in 2007 led to a 100-day writers’ strike.

However, DGA executives stressed that “the date we start negotiations is far from the most important issue. The main question at hand is whether the studios will decide to adequately address the concerns of our members. These concerns include wages, flow residual, safety, creative rights and diversity. If the studios don’t address these issues, they know we’re ready to fight.”

Founded in 1936, DGA has only gone on strike once in its entire history — in 1987 — and that strike lasted just 15 minutes on the West Coast and three hours and 15 minutes on the East Coast before DGA got what it wanted. and an agreement was made. DGA’s current contract expires on June 30, the same day as SAG-AFTRA and two months after WGA’s contract expires on May 1. It has not yet been announced who will go first this time – the WGA or the SAG-AFTRA.

In her welcome speech this evening, Glatter told assembled members: “In this ever-changing, complex and sometimes hostile environment for creative people in our industry, we are committed to ensuring creative excellence and commercial stability continue so you can achieve your vision. And I can guarantee you one thing: DGA will fight hard to secure this future for our directors and their teams.

“And you can take solace in the fact that we’ve done it many times before. A brief look back at the fundamental achievements of our 80+ years shows how much we have achieved for our members: world-class retirement and health plans for us and our families; profitable residual formulas that allow us to share in the commercial success of our work, including being the first union to negotiate and establish jurisdiction and residuals in new media; impressive salary increases; safer working conditions and creative real profits that set the standard for managers around the world.

“Each of these benefits is an important reminder that our contracts are always designed to advance your art and give you the opportunity to perform across all genres.”

Praising the “brilliant” leadership of Russell Hollander, the Guild’s national executive director and chief negotiator, Glatter said: “We will be back at the table later this spring. And rest assured, we will be ready. The bottom line is : We are all partners in this business. Partner. This means negotiating a new contract that continues to treat our members fairly and with respect, that recognizes and rewards our important contributions to this industry no matter how it evolves, that we recognizes, strengthens, shared interest in building a healthy, vibrant and stable business that entertains and inspires viewers around the world.

“And with the strong leadership of our negotiation chair Jon Avnet, co-chairs Todd Holland and Karen Gaviola, and Russ (Hollander) as our chief negotiator, we are in excellent hands.”

Before introducing Judd Apatow, the host of tonight’s awards gala, Glatter thanked Hollander “and your hard-working team who are ready for the fight ahead to protect and advance our members’ creative and commercial rights. When directors and their teams have the creative license to take risks, we can build worlds and soar, knowing that our visions are protected by our creative rights protections; from our Director’s Cut; the right to be involved in all creative decisions; Protection of a director’s idea for a film or TV episode, among so many other rights laid out in DGA contracts that have been in place for years.

“And just as importantly, when directors and their teams have economic freedom to accept well-paid jobs; When we receive pension and health benefits, and earn residuals to reuse their labor, we can focus on our artistry and vision, not just survival. That’s why these topics are so important to us.”