SAG-AFTRA members voted overwhelmingly to approve contracts covering movies, prime-time and basic cable television production, the union announced last night.
SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached a tentative agreement in July on the deal that provides gains of $200 million in wages and wage increases of 2.5 percent in the first year and 3
percent each in both the second and third years, according to the union.
Other provisions include the first residual payment for on-demand viewing of subscription video on demand; reduction of unpaid online streaming windows for most shows; and increased contribution rate percentage to benefits plans, according to the union.
The new television contract is the first industry-wide agreement covering performers in both prime-time television and basic cable productions, according to the union.
The agreement was approved by a margin of 92.12 percent-7.88 percent, with 16 percent of the approximately 137,000 SAG-AFTRA members voting, according to the union.
The agreement covering film and digital television programs, motion pictures and new media productions is retroactive to July 1 and will remain in force through June 30, 2017.
“Once again, we have made history,” SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard said.
“With the approval of the first-ever SAG-AFTRA television agreement, we have reached yet another of the goals we set when we merged. I am thankful to all members who participated throughout this process and the dedicated staff of SAG-AFTRA who worked to insure our new contract would usher us into the next generation of entertainment and new media production.”
