LOS ANGELES (March 31, 2011) – Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists today announced that the Joint AFTRA and SAG Non-Broadcast/Industrials Negotiating Committee have reached a tentative agreement with industry representatives on terms for three-year successor agreements to the SAG Industrial and Educational Contract and the AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Non Broadcast/Industrial/Educational Recorded Material. The contracts were set to expire on April 30, 2011 and will now be effective May 1, 2011 to April 30, 2014.
The new agreement includes a 4.04% overall increase in minimum compensation during the term of the agreement, with a 2% increase effective on May 1, 2011 and another 2% increase effective on Nov. 1 2012, 18 months into the term of the contract. The agreement also obtains a 0.2% increase in employer contributions to the AFTRA Health and Retirement Funds and the Screen Actors Guild-Producers Pension and Health Plans, effective on May 1, 2011, which raises the total employer contribution from 15.3% to 15.5%, as well as the addition of “new media” to the areas of jurisdiction covered by these contracts.
Further, and as proposed by Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA to more clearly reflect the type of work produced under these agreements, the contracts have been renamed the AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Corporate/Educational Recorded Material and the Producers-SAG 2011 Codified Corporate/Educational Contract
Screen Actors Guild Negotiating Chair Ed Kelly said, “We are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement. I want to recognize the hard work of our committee and of the staff members who helped support our efforts during bargaining. This is an important and meaningful agreement to our many members across the country. We were all focused on working together to remove as many obstacles as possible in order to encourage more work under this contract.
AFTRA Negotiating Chair Mike Kraft said, “For union performers, securing work under this contract often makes the critical difference in qualifying for health and retirement benefits and in smaller markets such as Cleveland, this contract is our ‘bread and butter.’ I’m very happy that we have reached this tentative agreement with the industry, and that our committee worked together so diligently and so well. I applaud the leadership of my SAG Co-Chair, Ed Kelly, and the expert guidance of AFTRA Co-Chief Negotiator, Mathis L. Dunn, Jr., and his SAG counterpart Ray Rodriguez.” Kraft also serves as President of the AFTRA Cleveland Local.
The AFTRA and Screen Actors Guild National Boards of Directors approved conducting Wages and Working Conditions meetings and negotiations jointly at their meetings last fall on Sept. 11, 2010 and October 23, 2010, respectively.
Details regarding final approval and ratification of the agreement by Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA will be announced soon.
The AFTRA and Screen Actors Guild contracts cover performers rendering on-camera and voiceover services in sales programs, educational and training videos, informational and promotional messages seen in stores and video included in certain consumer products, and other projects that are exhibited outside of the traditional broadcast arena (with AFTRA’s contract also covering audio-only content, such as telephone messages and sound included in consumer products).
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 over 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.
About AFTRA
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, broadcasters, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys, and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters, and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives, and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at www.aftra.com.
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Media Contacts:
Pamela Greenwalt, Screen Actors Guild, (323) 440-2892, pgreenwalt@sag.org
Christopher de Haan, AFTRA, (323) 337-7309, cdehaan@aftra.com
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