So, once again, there I was in the Black Beauty heading to another SAG informational meeting, sipping from a shot of, ah, cup of Diet Coke, while contentedly puffing on a vintage Cuesta-Ray.
Okay, I was smoking, but nothing like the smoking that took place at meeting. And I ain’t talking about cigarettes or cigars. I’m talking about SMOKIN’! They were, shall we say less than pleased with the AMPTP proposals, and AFTRA’s duplicitous actions during these proposals, and poaching of SAG’s Contracts.
Once, inside the WGA Theater, I said “hi” to Hollywood Executive Director, Ilyanne Kichaven, grabbed a bottle of water, (Oh, for the bad old Pisano Days when I had to drink from the men’s room faucet to satisfy my thirst) and entered the near capacity hall.
The meeting started off with President Alan Rosenberg introducing those seated on the stage with him. They included, Deputy National Executive Director of Contracts, Ray Rodriguez, SAG NED Doug Allen, Negotiation Chair David Jolliffe, and SAG’s First VP Kent McCord. Alan, then, acknowledged the attending SAG Negotiation members. All those introduced, were greeted with loud appreciative applause.
After the introductions were complete, Mr. Rosenberg proceeded to give a thumbnail of the negotiations. He said that they were willing to meet the other side half way. They were surprised when they learned the scope of the Clip Deal, the other side wanted. And that they, only, wanted to pay, something like, between twenty and fifty bucks for their use, depending on the length of the clip. The amount the producers wanted to pay was greeted with a loud, derisive, guffaw.
He talked about the middle-class actor, salary compression, Force Majeure, and the fact that contrary to what many believe the AMPTP didn’t offer SAG the same deal they offered the DGA and WGA. There were 36 significant differences, in just the new media portion of their proposals. These proposals included rollbacks of things that we’ve have had in our contracts for fifty years: it was pointed out later, by Kent McCord, that these were safeguards that we had gone on strike to protect.
Also, Alan stressed that the AMPTP’s proposal didn’t include residuals for new Internet content, no residuals at all.
NED Doug Allen’s remarks basically followed a handout entitled Contract 2008. He started out by saying that SAG came to these negotiations to get a fair deal, a deal that would keep the industry working. He went on to say that one of the things that the negotiations had laid to rest was the notion that either he, or Alan was strike happy. Or saber rattlers. He said he often is asked if there was going to be a strike, and went on to explain that it was nothing anyone in SAG wanted. And that such a decision was not up to him, but rather the negotiating committee to call for a strike authorization vote, if they should call for one, then up to the SAG board, and ultimately the membership to make that decision. He said he knew that neither, he, or the membership wanted a strike.
But, then, he advised that members must consider that option, if, when SAG returned to negotiations, at the end of the month, the AMPTP continued to be unreasonable.
“If they engage in good faith bargaining with us, we can make a Deal,” He stated.
“If they are not reasonable, and Stonewall, we’ll have a decision to make,” He added.
He then said that SAG would not know what that decision entailed, until they got a response from employers with regards to the modifications SAG had made to their proposals. He went on to praise SAG’s negotiating committee. He said the group including NY and the branches along with staff had worked well as a whole.
He stated that within areas of traditional issues, he believed that they were close to reaching an agreement. He then said, that If this were a couple of negotiations ago, he believed we would have a deal by now.
He then talked about the Boulders in the Road to an Agreement.
He added that everywhere they could, SAG adopted the WGA framework, including the 17 to 24-window framework. Not something that put a smile on the Ol’ Dog’s face, but then, I don’t do windows.
He then talked about traditional media going over to the internet, from streaming to downloads, bottom line, as was explained later, the scale actor would take home something like 23 bucks for a year, while series regulars, as was explained by Ray Rodriguez would get about a hundred and five bucks. This brought about a group groan.
One of the Boulders, Mr. Allen noted was unfettered CLIP use with NO CONSENT need from the actor.
Another Boulder, Internet jurisdiction for new media product. For example, Producers want to produce shows budgeted under 15,000 dollars a minute non-union. Which means we would have signatories who are producing both union and non-union shows. Doug added to great applause that SAG thanks that’s a dangerous policy. He continued that SAG’s experience had taught them that low budget contracts could work. SAG currently has 400 new media independent projects under their jurisdiction with an average budget cost of 2000 dollars per minute with an average length of twelve and a half minutes, or about thirty thousand dollars a production.
Look, I know this is a long post. But these issues are so important to actors futures, as the new media decisions made, will probably apply for decades to come, that the Ol’ Dog is going to be as detailed as possible, and in order to do that, me thinks it’s best to break this article, up into a couple of posts.
In the meantime, much of what Doug Allen Discussed is on the SAG Website included in a document entitled Contract 2008. To access it, click the following link http://www.sag.org/contract-2008-tvtheatrical-negotiations
Coming soon, part two of this document in which members go to the microphones for questions and feedback.
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief 
Extra added Bonus: Something anyone who has worked an AFTRA Basic Cable Show will appreciate.
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