SAG-AFTRA Reaches Tentative Agreement With TV Networks

SAG-AFTRA, the four major television broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) and other producers have reached a tentative agreement on terms for the National Code of Fair Practice, the union announced on Saturday.

The term of the contract is July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021.

“This deal delivers overall gains in important areas, including meaningful increases in wages and residuals rates that will put real money in members’ pockets. Additionally, the agreement now reflects important new language limiting auditions or meetings in private hotel rooms and residences, which represents a partial realization of our work toward industry culture change,” said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris.

Significant gains will be felt across a wide range of categories, including principal performers, background actors, stand-ins, promo announcers, singers and dancers, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White said.

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Contract minimums will increase over the next three years, including an 8.7 percent overall wage increase to most program fees, implemented through increases of 2.5 percent the first year, 3 percent the second year and 3 percent the third year. The agreement also significantly improves funding of the AFTRA Retirement Fund.

The Network Code covers nearly all television day parts, as well as programming produced for digital media. Programs covered include dramas in first-run syndication, morning news shows, talk shows, serials (soap operas), variety, reality, contest, sports and promotional announcements.

Current programs covered by this contract include “Good Morning America,” “Ellen,” “The Young and the Restless,” “Jeopardy,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Voice,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “The Inspectors,” “The Late Late Show With James Corden,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl, to name a few.

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Automatic increases will be felt by daytime soap opera performers, who will receive a 4.1 percent wage hike, while the contract also provides a 4.6 percent increase for background actors employed on variety programs, an increase in the overtime rate for certain group dancers on award shows, and a 11.5 percent increase for stand-ins and/or dance-ins.

In addition, an improvement will be made to the union’s harassment-prevention language that explicitly prohibits harassment.

The tentative agreement will be submitted for approval to the SAG-AFTRA National Board on July 21. Subject to the board’s approval, the agreement will then be sent to the union’s membership for ratification.