A Letter from You Atlanta Local President

Hello My Atlanta SAG-AFTRA Family,

I hope this finds you all safe and healthy. In all likelihood, you know by now that after six weeks of hard-fought negotiations, SAG-AFTRA reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on June 11.  Our SAG-AFTRA National Board approved this tentative agreement by a super majority of 67.61% to 32.39%. It is now up to us, the membership, to vote on this historic agreement. I am voting YES and I wholeheartedly encourage you to vote YES along with me.

This would be a great deal at any time, but in the midst of a global pandemic, at a time of economic upheaval and dramatic declines in industry revenue, this is an amazing deal. It offers gains in benefits, protections and very real gains in income and residuals.

The $318 million that will be provided by this contract is meaningful in areas like wages and benefits for all members. That’s real dollars in members’ pockets. Of particular note and interest here in Atlanta is the new overtime protection for weekly stunt performers. For episodic productions, “adjustments” will no longer be considered in determining whether a weekly stunt performer is subject to the terms of Schedule H-II, which is a terrific gain in this area and one we finally achieved.

Our negotiators stayed focused on the future. Our team used their leverage to build up streaming residuals and position us where the growth and the money are. Getting a 26% increase in fixed streaming residuals over the first three years is terrific, and it’s what our members were asking for. This is where the work is going and we need to make sure our money follows. Again, a gain for Atlanta. This truly is a forward-thinking contract!

An important item to me personally is knowing that our pension and health plans stay strong. The projected funding increase of $97 million to the benefit plans for the next three years, including a $54 million increase for the health plan, is much needed and very meaningful to us all, whether we are receiving those benefits now or building toward gaining them in our future.

I encourage you all to click here for the referendum booklet so that you can read the specifics and the other important gains for yourself.

And, please, join us for the online informational meeting for locals to discuss details of the contract this Tuesday, July 14, at 5 p.m. Click here for details and to RSVP.

All eligible members were mailed a postcard on July 1 with a PIN number and instructions on how to vote online or how to request a paper ballot. If you don’t have your PIN, you may retrieve it at the voting website. Whether submitted online or by mail, ballots must be received by 5 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
 
I will be voting YES on this landmark contract, and I hope you will join me with your YES vote!
 
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay connected.
 
In solidarity and looking forward,

Clayton Landey
President, SAG-AFTRA Atlanta Local