Word came down late Thursday that members of SAG and AFTRA had ratified the new commercial contract with the 4As and ANA tentatively agreed to at the end of March. For the first time, the payment structure includes the Internet and other new media.
“I am pleased that SAG and AFTRA were able to work together to reach an agreement that will benefit actors who work in the advertising industry,” said SAG National President Alan Rosenberg, who has been less than supportive of the majority now controlling his own union’s national board.
Praising the successful ratification, AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon observed, “I am pleased that our members have ratified these new television and radio commercials contracts. These new agreements provide significant increases in payments to working performers now — a major achievement in a severely depressed global economy — and the contracts will guarantee our continued participation in this important area of work as it evolves in response to consumer tastes and trends affected by the changing landscape of digital technology.”
“We have enormous power when we negotiate jointly and it put us in a great position from day one,” added Sue-Anne Morrow, Screen Actors Guild’s national chair of the SAG-AFTRA Joint Commercials Negotiating Committee. “Achieving a minimum for ads made for the Internet and new media was a huge win. It was time to insist that actors be paid fairly for their exposure in these developing areas and members clearly approved through their overwhelming votes to ratify, ” she said.
