SAG-AFTRA Members Approve New Film and TV Contract
The new agreement between union and producers lasts through 2020
Ross A. Lincoln | August 7, 2017 @ 7:49 PM
Last Updated: August 8, 2017 @ 6:53 AM
SAG-AFTRA members have voted to approve the new three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The contract, retroactive to July 1, will last through 2020.
A total of 75.79 percent of SAG-AFTRA members voted for the new agreement, an overwhelming majority but a decline from 2014, when more than 90 percent of members voted yes.
Valued at $256 million, the new contract represents an increase of 30 percent over the previous agreement reached in 2014.
* A guaranteed raise of 2.5 – 3 percent for each year of the contracts
* Increased pension and retirement contributions
* Changes to residuals including increases for streaming content, earlier due dates, and new foreign residuals
* Improvements for background actors, including double overtime with extras on the West Coast getting double time for 11th and 12th hours of the day, a 17 percent increase for the photo double rate, and identity theft protections
* Travel provisions including increased relocation allowances, transportation or lodging for actors who do not believe they can safely drive due to exhaustion or weather, and guaranteed airfare for performers going to Los Angeles for work.
* Reduction in total negotiated “idle days” and an increase in pay for those days
“With these new provisions, members will be compensated for global use of their work on streaming new media platforms — such as Netflix and Amazon — in addition to seeing significant gains in streaming media residuals” said SAG-AFTRA President and Negotiating Committee Chair Gabrielle Carteris in a statement. “These gains speak not just to today, but to our future by establishing important new guidelines on travel and options as well as providing meaningful gains for the background community.
“The gains in this contract reflect their hard work and their voices in negotiations,” she continued. “I am also very grateful to my fellow negotiating committee members, to National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator David White and to the dedicated SAG-AFTRA staff who worked to ensure our new contract builds for the next generation of television and theatrical production.”
Producers and actors had clashed over a number of issues, including compensation for short seasons, such as the eight-to-10 episode runs of Netflix and HBO shows, as opposed to the 22-episode broadcast season, and relocation allowances for parts on Hollywood hits that shoot in places like Atlanta.
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP extended talks three separate times after their contract originally expired at the beginning of July, finally reaching an agreement and averting a strike late on July 3.
23 TV Shows Most Affected by 2007-08 Writers' Strike (Photos)
With a potential writers strike looming if the WGA and AMPTP can't see eye to eye in their negotiations, TheWrap looks back at the 2007-2008 strike and its impact on TV shows.
"Lost" had just aired 8 episodes from it's fourth season when the strike began, and while it only had a month break, the season lost two episodes in total. They were added to season 5 and 6, respectively.
"Prison Break"
The third season of the show starring Wentworth Miller saw an extremely shortened third season, only having 13 episodes instead of 22.
The CBS show was put on halt for four months the first season it was on air, and eventually only got to 17 of the planned 22 episodes.
CBS
"Bones"
The Fox show felt a blow from the writers strike in its third season, where it was put on hiatus for four months after only 13 out of 23 episodes were filmed. When the strike ended, only two more were filmed.
Fox
"Desperate Housewives"
The hit show also received a shortened season and a three-month break.
ABC
"Family Guy"
The fox animated series had 9 completed episodes before the strike began although 22 were planned. When the strike ended, only 3 more were produced.
Fox
"Friday Night Lights"
The second season of the show ended in a huge cliffhanger and seven of the 22 episodes NBC ordered weren't made. The third season returned eight month after the show had to be halted due to the strike.
NBC
"Gossip Girl"
The show starring Blake Lively and Leighton Meester also saw a three-month break due to the writers strike, as well as a shorter-than-expected season.
CW
"Grey's Anatomy"
Only 16 of the 23 of the fourth season ordered by ABC were made due to the writers strike.
ABC
"Heroes"
"Heroes" pretty much derailed the second season due to the strike. It only had 11 episodes out of 24 air, and none were filmed after the strike ended. The show returned nine months later.
The U.S. version of the sitcom missed 11 episodes due to the strike and saw five month break between seasons 4 and 5.
NBC
"One Tree Hill"
The show's fifth season missed out on four episodes because of the strike.
CW
"Scrubs"
According to Uproxx, Bill Lawrence was ready to end "Scrubs" after season 7, but then the strike happened and only 11 episodes were aired. The show then moved over to ABC and two episodes produced after the strike aired as part of the eighth season.
ABC
"The Unit"
The third season aired on Sept. 25, 2007 before the hiatus occurred after the 11th episode. The show returned five months later for the fourth and final season.
CBS
"Battlestar Galactica"
Only 11 out of 20 episodes were aired before the show was postponed.
Sci-Fi Channel
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Shows like “Prison Break,” “Breaking Bad” and “Friday Night Lights” were just a few of the shows that saw a shortened season due to the 100-day strike
With a potential writers strike looming if the WGA and AMPTP can't see eye to eye in their negotiations, TheWrap looks back at the 2007-2008 strike and its impact on TV shows.