The contract between the Screen Actors Guild and the Hollywood studios expired overnight, but it appears SAG members will continue to work without a contract – at least for a while. President Alan Rosenberg has told SAG members no steps have been initiated to call a strike vote. Meanwhile, SAG continues to press for rejection of the tentative contract that rival AFTRA cut with the studios. The success or failure of that effort – which has angered AFTRA leaders to no end – will be known next week when the contract vote outcome is announced.
SAG President Alan Rosenberg issued the following statement on June 29th:
“We have taken no steps to initiate a strike authorization vote by the members of Screen Actors Guild. Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply a distraction. The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee is coming to the bargaining table every day in good faith to negotiate a fair contract for actors.”
Negotiations are continuing today and our committee met into the evening last night. Your national negotiating committee, comprised of career actors who work regularly under SAG contracts, has volunteered countless hours working on your behalf. They are here in Sherman Oaks, forgoing time with their families and giving up work opportunities.
We will be here for as many hours as it takes to address the outstanding issues unique to actors that were NOT ADDRESSED in the pending AFTRA deal.
Here’s a partial list of our priorities:
Union coverage for ALL new media productions.
Residual payments for ALL new media programs (more info on this below).
Increases in minimums, pension & health contributions, mileage reimbursements and compensation for background actors, stunt performers, and other middle-income actors.
Address the growing practice of product integration within scripted programs.
Reasonable increase in DVD residuals.
Preserve Force Majeure protections.
Remember, this is not an attack on AFTRA. We are fighting to get the best contract for all actors. We are a democratic union and the majority of elected SAG leaders voted to inform and educate members about the AFTRA contract, and to urge you to VOTE NO. We hope SAG and AFTRA will bargain together on future contracts.
We do want to clear up some confusion about some blog statements regarding AFTRA’s tentative agreement for made for new media programs with budgets under $15,000 per minute. Specifically, in a blog “clarifying “ nine AFTRA deal points, it is stated:
“New Media: If any member gets hired on a new media production, regardless of budget level, the whole production automatically goes union. period.” This statement is completely false.
Coverage is not automatic if AFTRA members are employed. The criteria tentatively agreed to does not include union membership. See item 17 in the AFTRA referendum for the complete list of what does trigger AFTRA coverage. In fact, AFTRA members could be employed on non-union productions if they don’t meet the test for “covered performer.” This is exactly why SAG is holding the line for all union new media productions. We don’t want non-union people taking your jobs!
Many of you were also surprised at seeing a recent document AFTRA released to its broadcast members, urging them to pass the AFTRA contract even though they don’t work under actor contracts. The flyer stated, ”Even if you haven’t worked under this contract, it is important to all AFTRA members, including broadcasters.” Again, SAG is seeking the best terms and conditions possible for ACTORS, so we suggest you ask AFTRA about the broadcaster flyer.
RBR/TVBR observation: This strange standoff will only get stranger if SAG succeeds in its effort to torpedo the AFTRA contract. What would the AFTRA negotiators do then? How would they return to the bargaining table after having already accepted terms? Would AFTRA just have to sit back and wait for SAG to finish its contract negotiations – assuming it eventually does come to terms with the studios – and then say “me too”? This whole scenario is just bizarre.
