While most of the populace was either grilling or blowing up parts of the country over the holiday weekend, the Screen Actors Guild and The American Federation Of Television And Radio Artists were negotiating a new three-year deal with production companies that will ensure all the TV and movies everyone will want to watch when they’re full and/or out of firecrackers will continue to get made. According to Variety, the current SAG-AFTRA deal expired on Friday, June 30, but three consecutive 24-hour extensions were given, to allow time to work out a new contract with production companies.
As in previous negotiations, proper compensation for new media was a big concern. But SAG and AFTRA have made other significant gains in this latest round of back and forth. In addition to wage increases (rising from 2.5 percent to 3 percent over the course of three years), employer contributions to SAG-AFTRA pension and retirement funds have been goosed, and the first residuals are now due in 90 days, instead of one year. The deal addressed “several critical concerns related to travel pay and option periods as well as improving the residuals structure for streaming new media,” while also garnering “historic gains for our background community and additional enhancements affecting the general membership.” Deadline has even more info on the particulars of the new contract.
Having averted a strike, the deal is expected to be “overwhelmingly” ratified when it goes before the union’s board of directors and members. If all goes well, this new contract will be in effect until June 30, 2020.