Dear Member,
Your solidarity and sacrifice throughout our 118-day strike has resulted in a new tentative agreement with the AMPTP. You now have the chance to vote on this new contract, allowing us to lock in more than $1 billion in new wages and benefit plan funding along with the gains that were most important to you, including a new success-based bonus for those who work in streaming and important protections around the use of AI, guardrails never before included in our contracts.
It’s essential that we all take the time to get educated about what this agreement has achieved for working performers. It's also critical that we understand the nature of negotiating in general and are aware that neither side ever walks away with 100% of their asks. Remember, we only have two-and-a-half years until we are back at the table for the next contract — so plan to get more involved by joining committees and planning on attending future W&W's (this is where we ALL can give our feedback and ideas for the next round of negotiations) and that is where all of our current asks and gains were developed.
The union has put together a summary of the agreement, and we encourage you to read it here. If you were not able to attend an informational session about the tentative agreement, videos of sessions are available at sagaftra.org/contracts2023, where there are also FAQs, AI resources and voting information.
If you still have unanswered questions, you may email tvtheatrical2023@sagaftra.org or call (323) 549-6832.
Your National Board, Negotiating Committee and I urge you to vote yes on this agreement. After you have had a chance to study the information, please visit vote.ivsballot.com/tvtheatrical2023 and VOTE YES by 5 p.m. PT on Dec. 5, 2023.
I am so proud of what we have accomplished. Now let’s take it across the finish line.
Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving,
Michelle Damis
Portland Local President