A Closer look at the 2018 at the 2018 Network TV Code:

Members of SAG-AFTRA today voted to ratify the 2018 SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (Network Television Code).

LOS ANGELES (August 16, 2018) — The vote was 93 percent in favor of the new contract.

The ratification vote – via online voting and through requested paper ballots – follows the SAG-AFTRA National Board’s recommendation in July for members to vote yes on the new three-year contract with the four major television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox). Negotiations with the signatory producers began on May 30 in Sherman Oaks, California and concluded with a tentative agreement on June 9. Ballots were mailed to approximately 142,000 members. The contract term runs July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021.

“I am gratified by our members’ vote of approval for this agreement. SAG-AFTRA members working in this area will benefit from stronger protections and meaningful increases in wages and residuals rates,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, who served as chair of the Network Television Code Negotiating Committee. “Moreover, the agreement now reflects important new language limiting auditions or meetings in private hotel rooms and residences, which helps us make tangible changes in the way our industry is addressing sexual harassment.”

Added SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White, “This contract contains significant gains and protections for members working under the agreement. Dancers, singers, promo announcers, stand-ins, stunt coordinators and background actors will now receive stronger protections and increased wages that can be built upon in the future. I applaud President Carteris, our terrific member negotiating committee and our superb staff for securing these achievements in this negotiation.”

Highlights of the agreement include:

Increases in contract minimums over a three-year period, 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.

Automatic increases in other categories are as follows:

A 4.1-percent overall wage increase for daytime serial performers, implemented through increases of 1 percent the first year, 1.5 percent the second year and 1.5 percent the third year.
A 4.6-percent overall wage increase for background actors employed on variety programs implemented through a 2-percent increase effective Dec. 31, 2018, and a 2.5-percent increase effective July 1, 2020.
First-year increase in contributions to the AFTRA Retirement Fund of 0.5 percent and the AFTRA Industry Cooperative Fund of 0.2 percent with the option to divert 0.5 percent of second and/or third year wage increases to the AFTRA Retirement Fund.

A reduction of three hours in the included rehearsal hours for dancers on all but five-minute-or-less and over-five-to-15-minute programs.
A reduction of one hour in the included rehearsal hours for singers on all but five-minute-or-less and over-five-to-15-minute programs.
An increase in the overtime rate for certain group dancers on award shows from $45 to $48 per hour effective, July 1, 2018.
An 11.5-percent increase in the stand-in and/or dance-ins rates from $26 per hour to $29 per hour by the last year of the contract.

Other highlights include:

Recognition of Middle Eastern North African as a diverse category.
An improvement to our harassment-prevention language that explicitly prohibits harassment.
Improvements in the working hours language for minors. These changes do not impact the working hours for minors working in New York and California, but represent significant improvements for minors working in other states and enhance the union’s ability to enforce working hours in New York and California as well, by spelling out the requirements in a union contract rather than relying solely on state law.

The Network Television Code generates more than $200 million a year in covered member earnings and covers programming in nearly all television day parts as well as programming produced for digital media. Covered programs 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.

—

The above from the SAG/AFTRA Website.

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

Comments

comments

Editors Guild Answers IATSE President Matt Loeb’s “Baseless” Claims Against Its Leader

by David Robb
and Dominic Patten
August 16, 2018 8:33pm

EXCLUSIVE: Cathy Repola, the national executive director of the Editors Guild, has fired back at IATSE president Matt Loeb, who earlier today accused her of having “violated federal labor law” by taking part in the union’s recent negotiations for a new film and TV contract.

“I grew up in an IATSE household and have been a devoted union member for over 35 years,” Repola said in a statement to Deadline. “In spite of what the IATSE leadership is indicating, it is my core belief that speaking up on behalf of issues that adversely affect the Local 700 membership is not only a right, but my primary responsibility as the national executive director.”

Her response is the latest in an escalating war of words between Loeb and the Editors Guild. Earlier this evening, Editors Guild president Alan Heim accused Loeb of making “morally and legally baseless” allegations against Repola when he accused her of having “violated federal labor law” by taking part in the recent negotiations for a new film and TV contract. The Editors Guild is the only one of 13 West Coast studio locals opposed to ratification of the pact.

“You entered these negotiations,” Loeb said earlier today in his letter to Repola, “acting with authority reserved only for democratically elected union officials under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act and in so doing violated federal labor law.

Heim scoffed at that notion in his response to Loeb, saying that he and the local’s executive board “are dismayed that rather than addressing the legitimate issues raised by Cathy regarding the recently negotiated tentative basic agreement, you have chosen to attack her personally. The allegations in your letter are morally and legally baseless and only serve to distract attention from the serious problems in the proposed agreement.

“You suggest that Cathy was acting with authority reserved only for democratically elected union officials. Cathy was the bargaining representative at the table on behalf of Local 700 in these negotiations and, in fact, not until she recommended that our membership reject the new contract did you raise your concern. In addition, over the last three negotiating cycles under your presidency, you never raised any concerns about the fact that her predecessor functioned in the same capacity. As you know, Cathy was acting at all times at the direction of and with the full support of Local 700’s elected leadership.” (Read Heim’s letter in full below.)

Repola, like many other Hollywood labor leaders, was named to her post by the local’s board. That’s true of the national executive director of Cinematographers Guild Local 600, and the business rep of Script Supervisors Local 871, as well, and they also served on their locals’ negotiating committees during the recent contract talks. Loeb, however, isn’t accusing them of violating federal labor law.

And as far as being “democratically elected,” Loeb himself never has faced an opponent for the union’s international presidency. He was unanimously elected by the IATSE general executive board in 2008 to succeed Tommy Short and was re-elected in 2009, 2013 and 2017 by acclimation, without ever having faced an opponent.

Deadline has reviewed the LMRDA and nowhere does it say that board-appointed labor leaders cannot negotiate collective bargaining agreements. If it were true, the executive directors of the DGA, WGA and SAG-AFTRA would also be guilty of the same crime because they too aren’t elected by their members, and yet they are the chief negotiators for many of their major contracts.

Loeb, who served as the chief negotiator for the negotiations, went into the recent negotiations knowing full well that Repola was not a “democratically elected union official” when she came to the bargaining table, but only now is saying that in so doing, she “violated federal labor law.”

Loeb also accused Repola of waging a “propaganda campaign” against ratification of the union’s new contract, which he alleged “is born of motivations beyond the interests of the membership. An activity which is selfish, divisive and irresponsible.”

Heim, however, called that “a disrespectful affront to the members of Local 700,” saying that “Cathy’s brave stance on the contract has received overwhelming support and positive reaction from our membership, as well as from members of other locals.”

“It is a sad day for IATSE,” he concluded, “when its leadership calls defending our rights and voicing our opinions a divisive act.”

Here is Heim’s full letter to Loeb:

Matthew D. Loeb
International President
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

Dear Brother Loeb:

As the elected President of IATSE Local 700, I am responding to your letter dated August 16, 2018 to Sister Cathy Repola, our National Executive Director. The Executive Board and I are dismayed that rather than addressing the legitimate issues raised by Cathy regarding the recently negotiated tentative Basic Agreement, you have chosen to attack her personally . The allegations in your letter are morally and legally baseless and only serve to distract attention from the serious problems in the proposed agreement.

You suggest that Cathy was acting with authority reserved only for democratically elected union officials. Cathy was the bargaining representative at the table on behalf of Local 700 in these negotiations and, in fact, not until she recommended that our membership reject the new contract did you raise your concern. In addition, over the last three negotiating cycles under your presidency, you never raised any concerns about the fact that her predecessor functioned in the same capacity. As you know, Cathy was acting at all times at the direction of and with the full support of Local 700’s elected leadership.

The bargaining positions she articulated were and are in the best interest of our membership. Indeed among the reasons we are recommending a “no” vote is because the additional $0.75 per hour will likely result in hurting employment opportunities for the membership. Additionally, one of Cathy’s and the Board’s primary concerns is that not enough was done in the negotiations to shore up funding for the MPIPHP on a long-term basis.

Cathy’s brave stance on the contract has received overwhelming support and positive reaction from our membership, as well as from members of other Locals. Unfortunately, instead of engaging in constructive dialogue, you have chosen to make this a personal battle. Local 700 will not allow such unfounded criticism to divert our attention from the job ahead of us – to do what is in the best interest of the members. Your accusation that this is a “propaganda campaign” is a disrespectful affront to the members of Local 700.

It is a sad day for IATSE when its leadership calls defending our rights and voicing our opinions a divisive act.

Sincerely,

Alan Heim
ACE President, Local 700

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy

https://deadline.com/2018/08/editors-guild-answers-iatse-president-claims-against-cathy-repola-1202447322/

—

Well!  No one can say with all the bickering,  they have not finally got to First Baseless!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo selected by the Watchdog

Comments

comments

The following received in an email from SAG/AFTRA:

Aug. 16, 2018

Members of SAG-AFTRA today voted to ratify the 2018 SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (Network Television Code). The vote was 93 percent in favor of the new contract.

The ratification vote – via online voting and through requested paper ballots – follows the SAG-AFTRA National Board’s recommendation in July for members to vote yes on the new three-year contract with the four major television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox). Negotiations with the signatory producers began on May 30 in Sherman Oaks, California and concluded with a tentative agreement on June 9. Ballots were mailed to approximately 142,000 members. The contract term runs July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021.

“I am gratified by our members’ vote of approval for this agreement. SAG-AFTRA members working in this area will benefit from stronger protections and meaningful increases in wages and residuals rates,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, who served as chair of the Network Television Code Negotiating Committee. “Moreover, the agreement now reflects important new language limiting auditions or meetings in private hotel rooms and residences, which helps us make tangible changes in the way our industry is addressing sexual harassment.”

Added SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White, “This contract contains significant gains and protections for members working under the agreement. Dancers, singers, promo announcers, stand-ins, stunt coordinators and background actors will now receive stronger protections and increased wages that can be built upon in the future. I applaud President Carteris, our terrific member negotiating committee and our superb staff for securing these achievements in this negotiation.”

—

Very Ratifying!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

Headline Photo selected by the Watchdog

Comments

comments

IATSE President Accuses Editors Guild Leader Of Violating Federal Labor Law

By David Robb
and Dominic Patten
August 16, 2018 4:54pm

In what could be a precursor to placing IATSE Editors Guild Local 700 into trusteeship, IATSE president Matthew Loeb has fired off a blistering letter accusing Local 700 executive director Cathy Repola of violating federal labor law, of waging a “propaganda campaign” against ratification of the union’s new film and TV contract, and of possibly breaching her duties as a director of the union’s pension and health plans. He also accused her of being “selfish, divisive and irresponsible.”

In years past, accusations like that have landed Sound Local 695 and Prop Local 44 in trusteeship.

Repola and the Editors Guild’s leadership have been leading the charge against ratification of the new pact. She’s called it “a totally unnecessary” and “unacceptable agreement.” The proposed contract, which will soon be put to a vote of the union’s 43,000 West Coast members, is supported by the leaders of all the other 12 Hollywood locals.

The escalating war of words between the two labor leaders comes after an attorney for the Editors Guild fired off a letter that accused Loeb of “a number of unprofessional and potentially illegal acts,” and of making comments to Replola that contained “sexist undertones” following Loeb’s rebuke of her at a recent meeting of the IATSE general executive board. The IA’s general counsel fired back, disputing the allegations and calling the accusations “hasty, ill-informed and inaccurate.”

Now Loeb has upped the ante, accusing Repola of taking a position against the new contract that is “antithetical to the principals of trade unionism.”

“Local 700 was the one of 13 IATSE present in the negotiations that had no elected officers or bargaining unit members present for the general negotiations,” Loeb wrote. “This raises a number of concerns. Most importantly, no working members of 700 had access to the actual facts, developments and proposals, which you have repeatedly skewed. Furthermore, you entered these negotiations acting with authority reserved only for democratically elected union officials under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, and in so doing, violated federal labor law.”

He also accused her of having “repeatedly complained — including at the recent General Executive Board meeting, in open session — about Local 700 member-owned companies paying their fair share of contributions to the Motion Picture Industry Health and Pension Plans.”

Repola has said the new deal will hurt many of her members who own small independent post-production houses.

“Our side agreed, with strong opposition from me,” she told her members, “that all signatories of the agreement (excepting the major studios and any other companies they designate) will be subject to a $0.75 per hour contribution increase to the health plan each year of the agreement and resulting in a $2.25 per contribution hour increase by the third year. This will have a detrimental impact on our members who work at and own independent post facilities – sound houses, trailer editing, music editing, digital companies, and employee shareholders – because escalating their overhead costs will likely result in decreased employment. This will also make organizing non-union companies more difficult. This allows the studios to put a burden on smaller companies while avoiding any substantial contributions to the plans themselves.”

Loeb, however, told her that “The additional $0.75 per hour in each year of the new agreement from companies that do not meet the residual threshold of $15 million will shore up funding of the plans, securing a dignified retirement for our members.”

“Your public complaints to such a provision,” he added, “are antithetical to the principals of trade unionism. I urge you to consider who you are supporting — employers or members. Not only is your position a conflict of interest, it is likely a breach of your duties as a director of the MPIPHP.”

“Your ongoing propaganda campaign,” he scolded, “is born of motivations beyond the interests of the membership. An activity which is selfish, divisive and irresponsible.”

Loeb and Repola haven’t always been at odds. At last year’s IATSE convention in Hollywood, FL, he presented her with the union’s “Outstanding Woman Leader Award” in recognition of her work as chairwoman of the IATSE’s Women’s Committee.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy

https://deadline.com/2018/08/hollywood-unions-fight-iatse-editors-guild-labor-law-accusations-1202447178/

—

And the Heat goes on!

Arl

The Ol’ SAG Watchdog

*Headline photo selected by Watchdog

**SAG/AFTRA contract election results…stay tuned!

Comments

comments

The following feom the SAG/AFTRA Website:

First Illegitimate Employer Revoked, Investigation Continues

Four months ago, SAG-AFTRA launched an investigation into several companies we believed had falsely represented themselves as real employers of commercials performers.

As part of the investigation, SAG-AFTRA is revoking the signatory status of Executive Media Services (EMS). We determined EMS, the fourth largest “signatory service” company signed to the Commercials Contracts, was in violation of our agreement.

Our investigation, which is still ongoing, was spurred by the union’s concern that a number of companies were providing “signatory services” for a fee and falsely representing themselves as real employers of our members.

As performers employed under a SAG-AFTRA contract, you should never worry about your safety on set, the risk of not getting paid, or the responsible use of your performance.

Because our findings have been so eye-opening, the union now has concerns that any “signatory service” company can be considered a real employer.

As SAG-AFTRA looks to renegotiate our Commercials Contracts with the advertising industry in early 2019, we must ensure the union has a direct relationship with the actual employers of our members.

If you have any questions about EMS, please contact Lori Hunt, SAG-AFTRA National Director, Commercials Contracts, at lori.hunt@sagaftra.org (323) 549-6722.

Thank you for being a member of SAG-AFTRA. We will be in further communication with you as this situation develops.

—

As Riley used to say.  “What a Revoking development this is!”  Huh?  Make that “Revoltin’.”  But, but, but…is that really necessary?

Arl

The Very Ol’ Watchdog

*Headline photo selected by the Watchdog

Comments

comments