The Directors Guild of America’s National Board of Directors has approved a tentative new national commercial contract to be sent to the membership for ratification, the union said Wednesday.
The agreement was negotiated with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, Inc and covers a three-year term from Dec. 1, 2014-Nov. 30, 2017. The ratification materials will be sent to members within the coming days and will be due back before the expiration of the current contract.
‘The new contract calls for wage increases of 2.75 percent in the first year of the contract and 3 percent in each of the second and third years of the contract. It also provides increases in employer contributions to the pension plan, including a 0.25 percent increase in the first year of the plan, and establishes a first-ever diversity program to designed to expand opportunities for minority directors.
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Additionally, the DGA agreed to new low-budget commercial provisions providing more flexibility for for companies represented by the AICP, which it hopes will bring more work to its members members via additional commercial projects.
Negotiations took place during three separate periods between July and October of this year with the AICP and were led by Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director Russ Hollander and a DGA member negotiations committee.
“Members working in commercials represent a strong and steady portion of the DGA membership, and this contract will secure and grow this area of work for years to come,” said DGA President Paris Barclay.