SAG-AFTRA Approves Agreement with AMPTP on New Exclusivity Terms

At a special meeting today, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) National Board voted 95.95 percent to 4.05 percent to approve an agreement on new exclusivity terms with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which will apply to work under contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2023. 

The agreement outlines major improvements to exclusivity rules for all series regulars. Key points include:

• The agreement creates a “conflict-free window” of at least three months during each season, in which performers may accept a permitted appearance on another show or network without first confirming availability and potential scheduling. This “conflict-free window” is not mandatory where the filming schedule between seasons is less than 4 months. 
• An increase in the exclusivity money breaks from $15,000 per week or per episode for half-hour programs and $20,000 per week or per episode for one hour or longer programs to $65,000 per week or per episode for half-hour programs and $70,000 per week or per hour for one hour or longer programs.  
• An unprecedented expansion in permitted appearances for series regulars, including the ability to be a series regular on a second series and to do an unlimited number of guest star appearances, including an unlimited number of continuing roles that do not exceed 6 episodes.
• A strict limitation on the permissible reasons for which a series producer may stop a series regular from accepting an appearance on another program, along with a requirement of good faith consideration of all permitted appearances and an obligation to keep records that are available for the union to review of series regular requests to work on other programs and the series producer’s response.

The exclusivity rules extend to all series regulars on children’s programming, subject to limitations on series regulars who are minors taking roles on other children’s programs. These limitations do not apply to adult programs, and cease upon the minor reaching 18 years of age. 

This agreement comes on the heels of this week’s agreement between Netflix and SAG-AFTRA where Netflix agreed to join the multiemployer bargaining unit represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). A full summary of the agreement can be found here. 

“This negotiation reflects a healthier collaboration between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP in the interdependent relationship we share. The AMPTP was motivated to come to the table and improve a contract that has hindered our members for years. I want to thank the negotiating committee and our members for their participation and activism on this issue, especially the Series Regulars who came and testified, wrote op-eds, and stood with us in the room during the negotiation. I particularly want to applaud Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Ray Rodriguez for leading these negotiations,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher.

“I also want to acknowledge California Assembly Member Ash Kalra, Senator Anthony Portantino, Senator Tom Umberg, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senator Dave Cortese, Assembly Member Tasha Boerner Horvath, Senator Toni Atkins and California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez for taking this on and pushing the needle. Their support for the LAW Act helped us move forward on issues we hadn’t been able to get movement on in many, many years,” Drescher added. 

“Everyone involved, members, legislators and staff alike, rallied together to achieve this fantastic result. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as we continue to move mountains together,” Drescher concluded.

“These crucial gains reflect the culmination of a long term strategy in which our negotiations with Netflix and the AMPTP lined up with the legislative work we’ve been pushing for over two years, currently known as the LAW Act,” said National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “I want to especially thank our negotiating committee whose greatness, dedication and diligence with the AMPTP was instrumental in reaching these deals. I also want to thank Fran Drescher for her leadership and focus.”

Crabtree-Ireland continued, “Finally, I would like to thank our staff - especially my co-negotiator Ray Rodriguez and our General Counsel Jeffrey Bennett, whose team led our legislative efforts on the LAW Act. This was a coordinated, collaborative effort that demonstrates the power of teamwork and solidarity.” 

SAG-AFTRA is set to begin regular negotiations on a successor contract to the 2020 Codified Basic Agreement and Television Agreements with the AMPTP in spring of 2023. Other terms will be addressed in those upcoming negotiations, including wage rate (scale) increases and the streaming residuals structure, among others.

In light of the AMPTP agreement, legislation for the LAW Act will be withdrawn.

Bargaining began July 18 and continued through August 15.

The meeting adjourned at 12:16 p.m. 

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.