SAG-AFTRA REACHES DEAL W/ VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY!

Dear Member,

We have great news. Our negotiating committee has reached an agreement to end the strike against 11 video game companies that has been ongoing since October 21, 2016. Accordingly, you are free to resume working for the companies that were struck on all titles effective immediately.

I want to acknowledge the incredible work of the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Negotiating Committee, chaired by Keythe Farley. Their commitment to reflecting the concerns and the voices of the member community is embodied in this agreement.

The terms of the tentative agreement, which was reached early Saturday morning, resolved two points of contention we had with the employers: transparency and secondary compensation.

First, it instituted a new bonus structure that provides an additional payment to performers beyond their session fee. The newly-bargained terms also include significant improvements in the area of transparency.

This expanded information will empower performers and their representatives to bargain knowledgeably for compensation and to understand the nature of the performance that will be required, both of which have been a challenge for our members in an environment characterized by code names and secrecy.  

The National Board will vote on the contract at its October meeting. The new terms take effect upon ratification.

In the meantime, members are free to provide covered services pursuant to the expired terms of the prior Interactive Media Agreement with the struck companies effective immediately.

Strength in unity,

Gabrielle Carteris

JAMES FRANCO IS PRO-UNION,CONSERVACARE BITCHES!

REAL NEWS: "NO ONE SCREWS WITH THE UNION."

VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY RELEASES- BS DOCUMENTS TO BLAME SAG/AFTRA, FOR THE STRIKE.

From PR Newswire:

Video Game Companies today released copies of the Companies' and the Union's last proposals which show that the Companies matched SAG-AFTRA's requests for wages, benefits, and additional compensation before the Union called its strike. The documents also show that the Companies and the Union had reached agreement to collaboratively investigate vocal stress issues during the term of the next contract.

"These proposals exchanged across the table prove the Companies and SAG-AFTRA have largely agreed on the significant issues before us except for the label we have placed on the 'Additional Compensation,' which would be paid above and beyond our proposed 9% pay increase," said Scott J. Witlin of the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg, the chief negotiator for the Video Game Companies. "The documents also demonstrate that the Companies value performers and reached agreement with the Union on the issue of vocal stress."

Witlin reiterated that the Companies have been impressed by the research presented by SAG-AFTRA into the issue of vocal stress. The Companies attempted to address the concerns raised by the SAG-AFTRA bargaining committee during negotiations by offering performers innovative working arrangements including split sessions and multiple performer sessions, but those proposals were rejected by SAG-AFTRA leaders.  

"Among their proposals, the Companies offered to split a 4-hour recording session into two, two-hour portions with the second session to be performed within five days of the first session to ease the stress on performers, but this and other offers were rejected by SAG-AFTRA. This is an area that the parties have agreed to continue to collaboratively investigate during the term of the next contract. Exploring ways to further improve working conditions is something both sides should be committed to," Witlin added. 

The Video Game Companies released a chart and supporting documentation from both the Companies and SAG-AFTRA to demonstrate that the Companies' final proposal to SAG-AFTRA is almost identical to the Union's proposal. 

The chart validates the Companies' position that they have substantially met SAG-AFTRA's last proposal, including the topic of workplace safety. There is nearly no difference between the Companies' final proposal and the Union's proposal. The wages, additional compensation, pension and health contributions, vocal stress, stunt coordination, and transparency proposals are almost identical as summarized below: 

9 Percent Wage Hike

The Companies exceeded the Union's request for a 3% raise over each of the next three years by Companiesoffering a 9 percent up-front increase, but only if a new agreement is ratified by December 1.

Additional Compensation

In the Companies' final proposal, the Companies increased the maximum amount of Additional Compensation to match the amount of the Union's request for a 'contingent' compensation buy out of up to $950. While the Companies have held to their position that there will be no 'contingent' compensation, the Companies have proposed a schedule of "Additional Compensation" that largely matches SAG-AFTRA's last demand, including the total aggregated figure and the number of sessions necessary to earn that amount. This offer, too, must be ratified by December 1 to become effective. 

Pension and Health Contributions

The Companies agreed to the Union's request for a 0.5% increase and have agreed in principal regarding which of the benefit plans the money should be directed to.

Vocal Stress Issues

After the Union rejected the Companies' proposals concerning modifying voice over sessions to mitigate any risk of vocal stress, the parties agreed on forming a joint cooperative committee to study vocal stress issues. 

Stunt Coordination

The expired Interactive Media Agreement between the Companies and SAG-AFTRA already provides for a stunt coordinator to be on site for sessions that include stunts. While SAG-AFTRA made no new proposals in this area, it did seek further clarification about the use of stunt coordinators and both sides agreed to continue those discussions through the cooperative committee during the term of the new agreement. 

Transparency

The Union's proposal requested additional up front information when booking performers in video games to know more information (game title name, new role or a reprise of a previous role). The Companies enhanced their proposal to agree to provide the code name of the project and whether the performer will be asked to reprise a previous role. While SAG-AFTRA contends that the video game industry is the only industry not to require an employer to reveal the name of the project on which a performer is working, SAG-AFTRA has no such requirement in Television, Theatrical Motion Pictures or Animation agreements.  

Summary

Except for the label on the Companies' 'Additional Compensation' proposal, there are no significant material differences between the Companies' final proposal and the Union's last proposal. The wages, additional compensation, pension and health contributions, vocal stress, stunt coordination, and transparency proposals are almost identical. 

"The Union negotiating committee's continued public positioning of workplace safety as a rationale for striking these pro-Union Companies is disingenuous and paternalistic," Witlin said. "SAG-AFTRA should allow its affected members to vote on the Companies' final proposal and determine for themselves whether the semantic difference that does exist between 'additional compensation' and 'residual' is worth the costs of a strike."

THE BIGGEST LOSERS ARE NOW UNIONIZED WINNERS.
-From the LA Times.

Producers and crew members of the reality TV series “The Biggest Loser” have settled a labor dispute, ending a high-profile strike that disrupted production of the NBC reality series.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees reached an agreement this weekend with production companies Reveille, 3Ball and 25/7 to end a nearly two-week strike, said two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak about the settlement.

The parties subsequently released a statement confirming the development. "The agreement is a positive step forward for the crew of the 'Biggest Loser,' especially in the area of health benefits,'' said Mike Miller, vice president of the IA. "We are pleased to see them go back to work."

Lee Rierson, managing director and head of business operations for Reveille said the sides had reached a "fair agreement" while "managing to avoid significant disruption to the production, and are happy to see our entire crew working together again."

About 50 crew members unanimously approved the agreement Monday morning. Under the deal, the crew members on the show will be eligible to count their work hours toward their health insurance benefits, which had been a primary goal of the union. Starting next summer, IATSE members must work 400 hours every six months in order to secure or retain their health insurance coverage. The current minimum is 300 hours.

Crew members walked off the job Nov. 8, saying producers had refused to have their work represented under an IATSE contract. The Directors Guild of America and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists already had contracts covering their workers on the show.

Production of the series resumed last week when producers recruited replacement workers, but it was disrupted by pickets organized by IATSE at the Calabasas ranch studio where "The Biggest Loser" is produced. Trainers on the show refused to cross picket lines and, with the host, pledged to auction themselves on EBay to raise money for the strikers

THE HOBBIT TO LEAVE NEW ZEALAND OVER FAILING TO SCREW OVER THE UNIONS.

BRAD AND ANGIE FINALLY GETTING MARRIED, FOR THE SAKE OF THE KIDS?

GABRIELLE LIVES! RENEE 'O CONNER SUPPORTS WRITERS IN BURBANK