SAG-AFTRA Reaches Tentative Agreement on TV Theatrical Contracts

Dear Member,

We are thrilled to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on successor agreements covering motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television and new media production.

Significant improvements were secured in the residuals rate paid to performers for exhibition of their performances on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Under the new terms, actors will receive residuals for exhibition on subscription video on-demand platforms earlier, now after 90 days instead of after one year. The new formula delivers a 300% increase in residuals to performers within their first two years when their work is exhibited worldwide on Netflix.

SAG-AFTRA achieved a historic breakthrough in the rules governing travel for television performers, including an up to five-fold increase in the fees due to series performers who work at locations away from home. The travel rules for television have been rationalized and clarified, closing many loopholes and ambiguities that have allowed for abuse.

Series performer option rules were greatly improved, with the effect of reducing exclusivity periods for many series performers during which they can be held off the market.

In an unprecedented breakthrough, the new deal improves the overtime provisions for background actors working in the West Coast Zones so that they match New York standards while protecting against the attempted removal of night premiums in the New York Zone. Additionally, the committee improved the pay rate for photo doubles and achieved superior terms for background actors employed under the CW Supplement.

The committee also secured an additional 5 percent increase in the first year of the contract for stunt coordinators working under flat deal contracts in television.

Additionally, there is a first-year increase of .5 percent in the contribution rate applicable to the SAG Pension Plan and the AFTRA Retirement Fund, bringing the total benefits contribution rate to 17.5 percent. The union may also elect to convert an additional one half of one percent from the wage package in each of the second and third year.

Highlights of the tentative agreement include:

• Total package valued at $256 million over three years
• 3-year agreement commencing July 1, 2017 and expiring June 30, 2020
• Wage increases of 2.5 percent in the first year, 3 percent in the second year and 3 percent in the third year
• Half percent increase in the current rate of employer contributions paid to the SAG Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund in the first year of the agreement, raising the total contribution rate to 17.5 percent effective July 1, 2017
• Secured an additional .2 percent increase in funding to the SAG-AFTRA industry cooperative funds, which will support monitoring animal safety on sets, safety training and sexual harassment prevention training
• Achieved recognition of Middle Eastern North African as a diverse category in the casting data report
• Agreement to study the design and implementation of an electronic reporting system for performer work times
• Improved residuals for programming made for SVOD (subscription video-on-demand)
• First residual is now due in 90 days rather than one year
• Increase in the residual rate
• First ever residuals compensation for foreign use
• Improvements to money and schedule breaks
• Improvements to the advertiser-supported streaming residuals
• Outsized increase of 18 percent for background actors working under the CW supplement
• Terms requiring that all background actors be paid double-time starting after 10 hours of work

The new three-year agreement will be presented to the SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors for their approval on July 15 to be followed by a member ratification vote. Watch your email for further updates.

Thank you for your participation and involvement. Your steadfast support of SAG-AFTRA on social media vividly clarified to management that our negotiators had the strong backing of the board and our membership. This unity granted us the strength and leverage to achieve real gains on some of our membership’s most pressing items. 

In unity,