SAG-AFTRA board of directors overwhelmingly approves new $ 1 billion a year advertising contract, urging ratification of membership

The SAG-AFTRA National Council today approved the approval of a possible agreement for a new advertising contract worth $ 1 billion a year and recommended its ratification to members of the Guild. The agreement, approved by 93% of the members of the National Council, was reached on Tuesday with the Joint Steering Committee of the advertising industry. Negotiations began in New York on February 16.

According to the union, the deal is worth $ 120 million more in three years, which is actually a 5.55% increase in salary and benefit contributions. The mixed contribution rate increase in the 2022 agreement is actually a 1.01% increase in the contribution rate of the SAG-AFTRA health plan.

“The agreement also establishes fixed rates, cyclical rates for a wide range of digital and traditional media, sets new standards for diversity and equality; And it creates greater protection for artists who appear naked, partially nude or engaged in intimate acts, “the Guild said, monetizing the exponential growth of streaming over the past two years while providing adequate compensation structures, protecting member revenue and promoting commercials. Earnings Increase works “.

“The contracts will significantly increase revenue for our members and contribute to SAG-AFTRA’s health plan,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. “They are also making significant changes, recognizing the rapid transition to a digital future, protecting our members and securing our contracts. These contracts also underscore the broad philosophy that drives SAG-AFTRA when it comes to technology and the future: with strong organization and unity in our union, we can use technology to uplift members, both in their working life and in the union offering. Services. Services. . I would also like to thank Gabriel Carteris, National President of our Negotiating Committee, our tireless committee members and our extraordinary team of staff; Without the efforts of your team we would never have been able to achieve this.

The Guild said the talks were “the culmination of three years of work to adapt and shift to the growing importance of digital platforms.” It involves significant structural changes, making working with our contracts feasible and attractive to employers, protecting those who work in traditional media, and greatly improving regulations in an ever-expanding digital space.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said the new pact would bring contract advertising into a “digital age”. Thanking Carter and the negotiating committee, he said: “It has been a stressful week with long hours and imaginative thinking to bring commercial contracts into the digital age. Not only will we increase revenue, but the growth will also be reflected in contributions to our funds. We have also made significant progress in requiring makeup artists and hairdressers to have experience working with people of color, further reflecting our relentless pursuit of inclusion, diversity and equality for SAG-AFTRA members.

“Also, at this point in Step Up, there is a language that pays particular attention and sensitivity to the artists who are asked to undress or dress in plain clothes,” added Drescher. “It is important that the audit process be redefined and that the limits are reset in favor of the executor who benefited from the hitherto unregulated self-registration process. A new baseline has been created to build on. Go on and on. “Bravo to the Committee for carrying out this Herculean task.”

“It was a tough deal,” Carter said. “We listened to members’ interests and concerns about this contract and focused on achieving significant wage and benefit growth and modernizing contracts with a major improvement in digital revenue now and in an ever-expanding digital future. I would also like to thank and thank the members and staff of the Negotiation Committee for their efforts and innovations. National Director General and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Contracts Director and Chief Negotiator Ray Rodriguez have dedicated themselves to the members and their diligent and inspired work reflects all provisions of the contract.

According to the Guild, the main provisions of the transaction include:

* 10% increase (added) of the ladder rates in the first year of the contract.
* Imposing a flat tax, cycle rates on a wide range of digital and traditional media, making it easier for employers to hire and improving the ability of artists to track and verify that their payments are correct.
* The new rates result in a net profit of approximately 5.55%, worth $ 120 million over three years.
* New higher payment category for streaming platforms (eg Hulu, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Disney +, etc.).
* Significant increase in contributions to the benefit plan – including an additional 1.01% of the contribution equivalent to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
* Correspondence of tariffs for Spanish ads, with only maintaining a separate tariff for the program.
* Class A usage payments have been reduced by 5% in exchange for an increase in digital payment structures. The one-time fee remains, limited to $ 20,000 / $ 15,000 over the 13-week cycle, for advertisers and agencies only.
* A new mitigation fund that attracts the artists most affected by usage fee caps. The proceeds from the fund will be distributed among the artists whose advertisements are most frequently found in Class A.
* New rules for home and remote direct hearings, using the principles that apply to personal hearings. This includes protection relating to:
Self-repeating tapes
Parties 24 hours in advance
There are no requirements for dangerous activities.
there aren’t many places
The angle does not change during shooting.
No makeup or style changes.
There are no special equipment or paid services for the audit.
Waiting room requested and notifications of late
* New rules for nudity and intimate scenes, including:
No naked audiences
Communicate in advance any request for naked or semi-naked service, with the possibility of refusal to work and paid again if the requirements are not met.
* Call sheet containing information from the SAG-AFTRA harassment report.
* Not used to avoid the terms of double digital contracts.
* The first contractual requirement is that hairdressing and make-up personnel must be able to work with a variety of artists to be considered “qualified”.
* Improve regulations for deaf and hard of hearing artists.
* Extra protection for little artists.
* Improvements for singers, choreographers and assistant choreographer contractors.
* Additional remuneration for background artists shooting in cars and additional examples of dangerous work leading to additional remuneration.
* Protect the public from signing one-sided and overly aggressive privacy agreements.
* Artists must now be informed during the audit if the manufacturer will use any form of circumvention.
* Changed the statute of limitations to prevent artists from filing unpaid usage claims until advertiser’s death.

A national referendum will be held on the ratification of trade agreements via online voting. Traditional ballot papers will also be available upon request. Members eligible to vote will receive a postcard with voting instructions explaining how to vote electronically or how to request a vote. The postcard will be sent to members around April 14th.

Briefings for members across the country to discuss a possible deal will take place online on April 19 and 26. Information about the agreement will also be released before online voting begins.

Existing contracts remain in effect during the member ratification process. The provisions, which include the working conditions, are valid 30 days after ratification, with the retroactive tariff increase as of April 1, 2022. The new structure will come into effect on June 1, 2022.