AMPTP reaction to latest by SAG and AFTRA

BREAKING NEWS
July 9, 2008

Statement on Final Offer Retroactivity

The Producers remain committed to making a deal with SAG as soon as possible, which is why the AMPTP’s final offer would make the wage and salary increases retroactive to July 1, 2008 if the agreement is ratified by SAG’s membership no later than August 15, 2008. Under the final offer, if the new agreement is not ratified by August 15, 2008, all changes in terms and conditions would become effective in the first payroll period after ratification. The Producers have included this traditional incentive in the final offer in order to get everyone back to work and end the de facto strike. The Producers’ final offer includes more than $250 million in additional compensation over the course of the three year contract, as well as groundbreaking new media terms. We remain hopeful that SAG will accept our final offer and that its members will ratify the new agreement so that these economic gains can go into effect at the earliest possible period.

July 8, 2008

AFTRA Ratification Statement

We appreciate today’s vote of confidence by actors in the agreement we reached with AFTRA, and hope that it demonstrates to SAG’s Hollywood leadership that there is support for the new economic relationships we have built with writers, directors and actors -- and not much support for a strike, whether de facto or real.

With this AFTRA ratification announcement, our industry has now achieved four major labor agreements within the last five months. These agreements -- which offer both meaningful economic gains and groundbreaking new media rights for directors, writers and AFTRA members -- are the result of difficult negotiations and many compromises by all sides. We hope that SAG’s Hollywood leadership will allow SAG members to vote on AMPTP’s final offer – which would give SAG members more than $250 million in additional compensation and important new media rights.

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