Dear Member,
We’re proud to have arrived at this monumental step: ratification of our new TV/Theatrical Contracts. This agreement reflects a leap forward for our profession, an achievement won through 118 days of unprecedented collective resolve and solidarity.
You did this!
On behalf of the SAG-AFTRA National Board and TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee, we are pleased to recommend you VOTE YES to ratify this agreement.
Together, the revolutionary gains achieved in these contracts are projected to generate more than $1 billion in new compensation and benefit plan funding. These deal points represent improved streaming compensation, unprecedented wage escalation, and crucial protections around the use of artificial intelligence technology.
Members have stressed the need for structural changes in the way they’re compensated for their work, and we’re proud to share that we’ve made critical progress in moving the industry in the right direction.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
- A new compensation stream for performers working in streaming. It provides a substantial bonus on top of existing residuals structures, making work on high budget SVOD productions more sustainable for middle-class actors.
- Pattern-breaking compensation escalation, with two wage increases in the first year of the contract — 7% general wage increase effective Nov. 9, 2023, and another 4% increase effective July 1, 2024, for a compounded first-year wage increase of 11.28%. Plus another 3.5% increase effective July 1, 2025.
- Unprecedented background actor wage pattern with two wage increases in the first year of the contract — 11% effective Nov. 9, 2023, and another 4% increase effective July 1, 2024, for a compounded first-year wage increase of 15.51%. Plus another 3.5% increase effective July 1, 2025.
- Finally increases the number of covered positions for background actors in the West Coast Zones to equal those of the East Coast Zones — a first! This is projected to create 10,700 additional days of covered background work annually.
- A nearly 43% increase to the benefit plan contribution cap for one-hour productions and a nearly 67% increase to the cap for half-hour productions. These increases should generate over $180 million to the benefit plans over the course of the contract, as well as help performers working on those shows to continue qualifying for benefit coverage.
- Substantial improvements in relocation allowances for series performers, covering $5,000 per month for up to six months. Based on employment patterns, this amounts to a 153% effective increase in relocation payments.
- Meaningful protections for the casting process have been established, including provisions for self-tapes specifying that breakdowns, sides, and/or scripts shall be provided no less than 48 hours prior to the submission deadline (excluding weekends and holidays). This is increased to 72 hours for minors. Talent may not be asked to perform more than eight industry-standard pages for a first self-tape or 12 industry-standard pages for a second or subsequent call back.
- Producers are now also required to provide opportunities to interview virtually or in person on a first come, first served basis, with accommodations for performers with disabilities, senior performers and minors.
- If a virtual audition requires performers to memorize, they are still entitled to compensation.
- The contract achieved important gains for hair and makeup equity, the sharing of aggregate diversity statistics, eliminating inappropriate “wiggings” and “paintdowns,” gender neutral language, access to gender-affirming care, and translation services.
- Additional sexual harassment prevention protections for performers, including the use of intimacy coordinators in scenes involving nudity and simulated sex or upon request, and additional safeguards for background actors.
- Informed consent and compensation for the creation and use of A.I. digital replicas of our members, living and deceased, whether created on set or obtained from other materials. Performers are entitled to consent when a producer uses the performer’s name and features to prompt a generative artificial intelligence system to create a “synthetic performer” or “fake” with a principal facial feature (eyes, ears, nose and/or mouth) that is recognizable as that of the performer.
- Confirmed coverage of performance capture work.
- Outsized gains to the traditional formulas for high budget SVOD residuals: substantial increases in compensation for foreign exhibition and increases to the residuals ceilings.
- Establishes minimums by applying television terms, including residuals, for high budget made-for-AVOD (free streaming) programming.
- Addition of some fixed residuals for stunt coordinators who do not perform on camera stunts and achievement of outsized increases for stunt coordinators working under flat-deal minimums in television.
- Increases to schedule breaks (minimums) for Schedule F performers.
- Application of Major Role terms to high budget SVOD and the first season of made-for-pay TV series.
- Added transparency ensuring actors know how much of their episodic guarantee is initial compensation versus how much is residuals.
- Doubling pay for singers who dance and dancers who sing.
- Elimination of the discounted rehearsal rate for dancers.
Please review the summary of the tentative agreement carefully. The full memorandum of agreement (MOA) is being prepared and reviewed and we will make it available as soon as possible in the coming weeks, as is customary during contract ratifications.
This contract was shaped by you and your feedback throughout the wages and working conditions process. In the negotiating room, we prioritized the issues you told us were most important. Every step of the way we fought for what you need. We urge you to take the time to review the materials, inform yourself about the gains we have achieved, and vote to approve this seminal contract.
We understand that members may have additional questions, which is why we’ve scheduled informational sessions to review the terms of this agreement and answer questions you may have. Tune in tonight, Thursday, for a livestream presentation at 7 PT / 10 ET. And please check sagaftra.org/contracts2023 and watch your email for notices from SAG-AFTRA with information about official meetings. If you have questions regarding the tentative agreement that are not answered on the website, please email tvtheatrical2023@sagaftra.org or call (323) 549-6832.
As your president and chief negotiator, we work to protect and expand members’ contractual gains, and the transformative wins in this agreement speak to the needs of the membership and the evolution of our industry. Postcards with voting information and PIN were mailed to eligible members on Nov. 14. You can also retrieve your PIN from the voting website. We strongly recommend you VOTE YES by 5 p.m. PT on Dec. 5 at vote.ivsballot.com/tvtheatrical2023.
SAG-AFTRA strong,
Fran Drescher
President & Chair, TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator