A Message From President Fran Drescher and NED Duncan Crabtree-Ireland

Dear Member,

We want each of you to know and fully appreciate the painstaking effort the Commercials Contract Negotiating Committee put into these past seven weeks of negotiations. 
 
First, you should know that the committee was made up of a group of members who predominantly make their living by doing commercials, working alongside very experienced contract negotiating staff.
 
Rest assured that the team was a group of extremely well-prepared people with established service to the union.
 
Second, it is imperative that we are able to anticipate the winds of change and which way they now blow. This is a turning point in our industry, as so much production moves into a digital age and a whole new direction from which there is no turning back.
 
Bold moves and structural changes needed to be made to accommodate the demands of this new frontier. 
 
A new baseline had to be established upon which to build a new future. 
 
It was extremely stressful. Long and difficult hours for committee members, who sacrificed being with their families and in the comforts of their homes for almost two months.
 
By the end, some of them had even gotten sick because of the challenge and stress of it all.
 
When finally finished, an uncommon thing occurred: The committee, in true nonpartisan fashion, unanimously voted yes on the deal they fought so very hard for.
 
Likewise, an equally supportive National Board overwhelmingly voted Saturday in favor of the committee's recommendations, 92.92% to 7.08%.
 
With that in mind, we encourage you to fully understand the contract details and then vote yes.
 
The new commercials agreements increase all session and holding fee rates by 10% within the first year of the contract. The package is expected to increase aggregate scale earnings by 5.5%, assuming consistent employment and usage patterns, and would generate $72 million in additional wages and $48 million in additional benefit plan contributions over three years.
 
This tentative agreement represents the culmination of three years of work that sought to adapt to and transition with the increasing prominence of digital platforms. It incorporates important structural changes so that work under our contracts is viable and attractive to employers, while also protecting those working in traditional media and significantly improving provisions in the ever-expanding digital space. The substantial gains in digital include a transfer of value from traditional network use in the form of slightly reduced network use fees and new per cycle caps. Those changes are accompanied by a special fund that will reduce the impact on the most frequent uses occurring in network broadcast - to make sure we are protecting members whose work is used on broadcast networks while locking in important gains in the growing digital sphere. 
 
The agreement also increases contributions to members’ benefit plans, institutes new standards for diversity and equity, builds in enhanced protections against workplace sexual harassment and regulates self-taped auditions. 
 
In the coming days, you will be provided with background information on the agreement so that you can cast an informed ballot. More details are available here: sagaftra.org/commercials2022. 
 
The current contracts remain in effect during the member ratification process. Provisions covering working conditions are effective 30 days after ratification, with rate increases effective retroactive to April 1, 2022. The new structure becomes effective June 1, 2022.
 
As usual, the vote for this agreement will be conducted online. Traditional paper ballots will also be available upon request. Members who are eligible to vote were mailed a postcard on Thursday, April 14, with ballot instructions explaining how to vote electronically or how to request a paper ballot. Ratification votes received by the deadline of 5 p.m. PT on May 5 (electronically or by mail) will be tabulated on the same day.
 
If you work the Commercials Contracts, please join us for one of four upcoming online informational meetings on Tuesday, April 19, and Tuesday, April 26, to discuss the tentative agreement and answer your questions. RSVP and find out additional details online at sagaftra.org/commercials2022.
 
This negotiation took guts and courage as well as innovation. In short, this feat of accomplishment on the part of the committee and staff was nothing short of a herculean task!

 
In unity,
 
Fran Drescher
President
 
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator