SAG APPLAUDS CONTINUATION OF NY FILM AND TV TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

New York (August 4, 2010) - Screen Actors Guild applauds the New York State Legislature and the Governor making the fiscally responsible choice by continuing the highly successful film and television tax credit program in the newly signed state budget.
 
SAG’s National Director of Government Relations and Policy Nancy Fox said, “Lawmakers recognized that these tax credits have been a great boon for the local economy, providing incentives that created thousands of jobs for New York actors, crew members, and other workers affiliated with the entertainment industry. We are extremely grateful to Governor Paterson, Senate Leader Senator Sampson, Speaker Silver and the other legislators who have maintained their support for this program throughout the extended budget approval process."

The new legislation extends what had been an extremely successful year-to-year program into 2015. Feature film and television production had risen noticeably in New York during the years when tax credits were in place, creating thousands of good paying union jobs, with benefits.The five-year scope of the new measure will be especially important to television producers by guaranteeing the security of the credits over several seasons.

Screen Actors Guild worked to pass this legislation in a broad coalition with most of the other entertainment unions, including many locals of the IATSE, the Teamsters, the DGA and our sister union AFTRA. Our partners also included the MPAA and the New York Production Alliance.

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About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation's largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists' rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 Branches nationwide, SAG represents more than 125,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors' working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists' rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at SAG.org.