Deadline Breaking News Alerts

January 16, 2015

Teamsters To Meet With Producers In Hope of Averting Commercials Strike!

by David Robb January 15, 2015 3:26pm

Teamsters Local 399 has scheduled a second contract-ratification meeting in an attempt to avert a strike against producers of TV commercials. Teamster leaders say that the new meeting, set for January 24, is being called “in anticipation of a revised offer” from producers. The first offer was rejected overwhelmingly by the local’s members on January 11, which put the union on a strike footing.

Local 399 leaders say they will be meeting with representatives of the Association of International Commercial Producers “to see if we can come to an agreement on a revised offer. At the same time, we are continuing to prepare for a strike.” A strike, if it comes to that, could hit the industry on January 31, when the current contract expires.

The chief stumbling block to an agreement has been the producers’ demand for concessions on low-budget projects. Following the pattern established by the DGA, the producers want low-budget discounts to kick in for commercials with budgets up to $125,000 a day instead of the current $75,000.

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Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Photo selected by Watchdog

December 3, 2014

DGA Members Ratify New Commercials Pact!

Arlin Miller

by David Robb December 3, 2014 1:38pm

DGA officials say the guild’s rank and file has voted “overwhelmingly” to ratify a new TV commercials contract. They wouldn’t say, however, how many members voted or what the final count was. “It’s a longstanding policy not to give out that information,” a DGA spokesperson told Deadline.

The new agreement with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers includes wage increases of 3% in each year of the three-year contract, which runs through November 30, 2017. It also includes an increase in employer contributions to the DGA Pension & Health Plans that will allow more directors to qualify for health coverage and increase retirement benefits and establishes the guild’s first diversity program designed to expand directorial opportunities for women and minorities.

The agreement also includes new low-budget commercial provisions that give AICP-represented companies the flexibility to capture additional commercial projects and offers more provisions to increase work opportunities for members working outside of Los Angeles and New York.

Said DGA President Paris Barclay, “With this strong new contract, we have not only secured wage increases, improved pension and health contributions and created new work opportunities for our members, we have also laid the groundwork for the creation of the first-ever commercial diversity program, all while recognizing the flexibility needed to help this important sector of our business flourish.”

The DGA board had approved the new deal in October.

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The DGA says that it wouldn’t say how many members voted or what the final count was. “It’s a longstanding policy not to give out that information,” a DGA spokesperson told Deadline. Hmmm…I wonder if that is just a direction or an order?

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Photo selected by Watchdog