Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

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Few people are aware that the union collective bargaining agreements that govern the employment of performers and musicians in commercials in traditional and non-traditional media are collectively the largest union agreements in the entertainment business. Under these agreements, advertisers pay union performers and musicians nearly $1 billion a year. In the collective bargaining process, the…

The Joint Policy Committee recently negotiated new 3-year agreements with SAG and AFTRA covering performers in television and radio commercials. Copies of the Memoranda of Agreement are attached below:

Revised SAG 2009 TV Commercials and AFTRA 2009 RADIO Commercials rate charts are available.

These rate charts have been revised to reflect minor rounding corrections to the previously issued documents. You will also find some additional explanations/clarifications based on questions we have been receiving from members.

The AFTRA TV 2009 Rate Charts are identical to…

On April 1, 2009, the advertising industry came to an agreement with the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists on a new three year collective bargaining agreement. Reed Smith partner, Douglas Wood, is the advertising industry’s lead negotiator in connection with those agreements. The unions ratified the deal on May 21, 2009. We have attached a number of memos that outline the new agreement and provide for answers to frequently asked questions, i.e.:

1. Executive Summary
2. FAQs
3. Notice in Industry re Commercial Services Fee
4. Memorandum on Commercial Services Fee

We welcome your review and comments.
Continue Reading SAG/AFTRA Developments

The JPC and the unions have agreed on the new rate charts. Remember that while you can now pay under those rates, should the new Contract not be ratified by the unions (expected within a month), you will have to seek refunds. If you prefer, you can pay under the old rates and issue a…

Q: What timetable now applies to implementing the new Contract?

The new Contract began April 1, 2009, but is not officially approved until the SAG and AFTRA Boards and members vote favorably on its ratification. The union voting process should be completed by May 15, 2009. Since the new Contract was unanimously approved by the SAG and…

As you are all aware, we’re approaching the "midnight hour" in our negotiations. While both sides have made major progress and I remain cautiously optimistic, the next couple of days will be critical to reaching a new agreement. In the meantime, there is no reason to believe that there will be any immediate disruption in…

Yesterday, you may have read reports in the trades that SAG and AFTRA had prepared a strike authorization letter to send to their members and that talks were not going well. As reported by the unions, the release of the draft letter was unauthorized. In a joint statement from SAG and AFTRA, the unions stated…