SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors Approves Music Video Agreement, Election and Convention Rules and Sets Telemundo Negotiating Committee

The SAG-AFTRA National Board, meeting this weekend in Los Angeles at SAG-AFTRA Plaza, voted to set election and governance rules for the upcoming national convention. The board also established a negotiating committee for the upcoming contract talks with Telemundo and unanimously approved a successor agreement covering music video performers with the major record labels. 

"This was the first agreement SAG-AFTRA negotiated after merger and it continues to be a testament to the strength and influence of our combined union," said President Gabrielle Carteris. "I want to salute the negotiators, staff and committee members who helped us reach this groundbreaking agreement." 

Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, who acted as co-lead negotiator on the music video talks with the major record labels, said: “I would like to thank my co-lead negotiator Stefanie Taub and everyone who participated in our W&W process. The robust input from our members who work this contract was integral to achieving the gains in this deal." 

During the two-day plenary, National Board members participated in a ceremony marking the dedication of the Ken Howard Membership Center, which took place April 21, 2017. Howard's widow, Linda Howard, attended the dedication at SAG-AFTRA Plaza together with Carteris, Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon, Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin, National Executive Director David White and National Honors and Tributes Committee Chair Jenny O’Hara, Vice-chairs Kevin Scullin and Don Ahles.

The National Board also reiterated members’ commitment to the ongoing video games strike. Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez noted that the union had now signed 30 games and 23 companies to the terms of its new, independently-negotiated video game agreements. Of those, 26 are high-budget games.

“We are right now moving in a direction of organizing around these companies and resetting the industry standard,” said Rodriguez. “We are breaking down barriers, and making progress on our organizing efforts. Our members are prepared to continue until there is a fair resolution to our ongoing strike against the 11 video game corporations.”

President’s Report
President Gabrielle Carteris opened the meeting in memory of past President Ken Howard and recalled last April’s board meeting at which she was elected president. Carteris reported on several achievements over the last year including the successful merger of the health plans, the direct deposit pilot program, the Telemundo unionization vote and the public launch of the member mobile app. 

“It has been a productive year that has fundamentally strengthened our union,” Carteris said. “Together, we empower the membership every day. We help ensure that SAG-AFTRA continues to evolve and meet the changing needs of our members in a rapidly changing industry.”

Carteris noted that the upcoming Billboard Latin Music Awards will for the first time be covered by SAG-AFTRA and recalled the emotional moment that the Telemundo vote was counted by the National Labor Relations Board in Florida last month. 

“We have changed hundreds, perhaps thousands of performers' lives for the better,” she said. “And I salute their courage and their willingness to insist on having a voice in their work. Now comes the hard work of securing our first contract with Telemundo. We look forward to productive negotiations.”

Carteris briefed the board on her recent work in Washington, D.C., including joining Representatives Judy Chu and Doug Collins, Co-chairs of the Congressional Creative Rights Caucus, at the “Beyond the Red Carpet” reception and expo. In addition, she reported on TheWrap's Power Women Breakfast where she vigorously advocated for continued arts funding as part of the “Public Funding of the Arts: The New Priorities” panel.

National Executive Director’s Report
White updated the board on preparations for the upcoming TV/Theatrical negotiations and provided an overview of recently completed, as well as future contract negotiations that will impact members across multiple industries. White also updated the board on the many organizing efforts across SAG-AFTRA’s contract areas. 

White gave the board a strategic update on the ongoing video games strike. He also highlighted elements of the union’s expanding contract enforcement efforts across the country that include direct action with employers, enhanced outreach to members and their professional representatives, and working directly with members to re-enforce Global Rule One to ensure SAG-AFTRA members work only on union projects. 

“Five years in, by increasing our focus on the core functions of this union, we continue to improve our ability to engage members directly to enforce our agreements, and to expand our capacity to negotiate contracts and organize work in multiple industries. We have made extraordinary progress since merger and, in many ways, we are just getting started,” said White. 

White also provided an update on operations, including the innovative use of technology to improve the various functions within the union, and reviewed structural changes that will improve the union’s overall effectiveness. 

Contracts Report
Crabtree-Ireland and Taub provided a detailed description of the highlights of the tentative two-year successor music video agreement, which expires April 30, 2019. The deal provides the first-ever share of revenues from the streaming of music videos for performers at 0.25 percent of the labels’ gross revenue for covered music videos. 

It established minimum rates for the first time for dancers in music videos with budgets between $100-200K. And also for the first time, recognizes and covers background actors in music videos with a budget greater than $50K, with the first ten background actors in each music video covered. This will create an estimated 1,500 new union jobs for background performers over two years. 

Meanwhile, Rodriguez reported on the formation of the Telemundo negotiating committee. Committee members’ names are not disclosed. Negotiations will take place in May on specific dates yet to be announced. 

Finance Report
Austin and Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto presented the fiscal year 2018 budget. This projection continues to build on the union’s trend of multi-million dollar operating surpluses. It was unanimously approved.

Legal and Governance Report
Damon and Crabtree-Ireland delivered a governance report covering Executive Committee actions, administrative and governance matters including convention rules and election guidelines and other matters.

Chief Deputy General Counsel Jeffrey Bennett updated the SAG-AFTRA board on recent federal policy and legislative initiatives, including funding for the NEA/NEH/CPB, support for the Register of Copyrights Selection & Accountability Act and support for the Fair Play Fair Pay Act.   He also reported on the upcoming World IP Day, August 26th, and encouraged the board to express their support for the Beijing Treaty via social media on the 26th as part of a worldwide campaign to draw attention to the treaty.