The Joint Negotiating Committee of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) reached a unanimous tentative agreement early this morning (4/1) with the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) on terms for successor agreements to the AFTRA Television and Radio Commercials Contracts and the SAG Television Commercials Contract, subject to approval by the SAG/AFTRA Joint National Board.
The successful negotiations were concluded just hours past the March 31 expiration of the prior three-year contracts.
A key provision of the new agreements calls for a two-year pilot study, scheduled to get underway on April 15, that will test the Gross Ratings Points (GRP) model of restructuring compensation to performers as proposed by Booz & Co, a consultancy firm which was commissioned by SAG, AFTRA and the JPC back in 2006 to explore and assess alternative compensation models to deal with the changing media landscape.
The new pilot study will be conducted by a jointly retained consultant engaged by the unions and the ad industry. The results and possible adoption of that study’s findings will be subject to negotiation by the parties not later than January 3, 2012.
Other highlights of the just struck commercials contracts include:
• The unions successfully protected the “Class A” residuals payment structure and continued unchanged the editing provisions in the previous contract.
• A 5.5% overall increase in wages and other compensation over the life of the contracts, including a 4.43% increase, effective April 1, 2009, in Class A, Wild Spot, and basic cable session fees
• For product made for the Internet or in new media, 1.3 times the minimum session fee for 8 week’s use and 3.5 times the minimum session fee for one year’s use
• A 0.5% increase in the employer contribution rate to the AFTRA H&R and SAG P&H plans bringing the total contribution rate to 15.3%. The agreement provides for a cap on P&H and H&W contributions.
• And increased foreign use payments under the Spanish Language section of the contract
Formal negotiations between the AFTRA/SAG Joint Negotiating Committee and the JPC began on February 23 and concluded on the morning of April 1 in New York City.
Details of the new agreement will be submitted to the SAG/AFTRA Joint National Board for approval at a date to be determined, and if approved, will be jointly mailed to the membership of both unions for ratification.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More