SAG & AFTRA Renew Partnership

SAG, AFTRA renew partnership

Unions strike deal after years of bitter battles
By DAVE MCNARYMore Articles:
Economic The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists have officially renewed their bargaining partnership after several years of bitter battles.
In a message to members Sunday, both unions confirmed for the first time that they've agreed to a set of guidelines including specific prohibitions on raiding and disparagement.

Move came three months after SAG and AFTRA hammered out a non-disparagement agreement with the AFL-CIO (Daily Variety, Oct. 21). The unions reached agreement two weeks ago to start talks Feb. 23 with the ad industry.

The SAG-AFTRA contract with commercial producers, which has been extended twice, expires March 31.

The bargaining will mark a return to solidarity at the contract table for the two thesp unions, which battled each other publicly last year after negotiating separately with Hollywood's majors on the feature-primetime contract. AFTRA members inked a new contract with the studios in July, while SAG has been mired in a months-long impasse.

The SAG-AFTRA agreement last fall to resume joint bargaining on the ad pact included signing of a non-disparagement agreement supervised by the AFL-CIO that includes the deposit of $2 million by each union to be paid out in fines for violations.

"We look forward to working together to protect and advance the interests, careers, and lives of all SAG and AFTRA members who work under the commercials contracts," the unions said.

Hooray! Good news!