✅ Vote Yes for $318M

This is the richest deal in TV/Theatrical history, negotiated while our employers watched their businesses grind to a halt.

$ 0 Million
In Your Pocket
$ 0 Million
For Pension and Health
ꜛ 0 %
Streaming Residuals Increase
+ 0
New Background Jobs

Shaped by Members

A Message From Your President

Don't Miss Your Chance to Vote!

Ballots must be received by 5 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

Vote Now. Vote Yes.

You can vote online by clicking the button below.

Vote Now

Enter the PIN from the postcard you received in the mail, or click “find my pin” after clicking the button

Here’s are just some of your fellow SAG-AFTRA members who are voting YES on the 2020 TV/Theatrical Contract:

Brent Anderson, Rob Archer, Marc Baron, Evan Bass, Randal Berger, Avis Boone, Jacqui Bradley, Laura Linda Bradley, John Carter Brown, Julie Brown, Yvette Nicole Brown, Rob Brownstein, Christine Bruno, Suzanne Burkhead, Bob Butler, Gabrielle Carteris, William Charlton, Parvesh Cheena, Assaf Cohen, Tiffany Yvonne Cox, Marc Comstock, Joe Corcoran, Chantal Cousineau, Michael Cudlitz, Ellen Crawford, Bertila Damas, Rebecca Damon, Rik Deskin, Jay Disney, Maureen Donnelly, Nancy Duerr, Abby Dylan, Nick Fondulis, Ilyssa Fradin, Sam Freed, Hector Garcia, Charles Andrew Gardner, Janette Gautier, Mike Genovese, Jason George, Margie Ghigo, Traci Godfrey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Anita Hollander, Kathryn Howell, Michelle Hurd, Matthew Jaeger, Phoebe Jonas, Tom Kemp, Verania Kenton, Gerald Kline, Ezra Knight, Mike Kraycik, Joe Krebs, Clyde Kusatsu, Clayton Landey, Elaine LeGaro, Jen Levin, Lance Lewman, Kate Linder, Andrea Lyman, Mel MacKaron, Camryn Manheim, Richard Masur, Samantha Mathis, Mykle McCoslin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, John McKarthy, Joseph Melendez, Michael Montgomery, Bill Mootos, Aubrey Mozino, Jack Mulcahy, Rob Nagle, Dan Navarro, Debra Nelson, Jake O’Flaherty, Jenny O’Hara, Stephen R Peluso, Janice Pendarvis, Robert Pine, Mike Pniewski, Jay Potter, Linda Powell, Michele Proude, Lee Purcell, Katie Von Till, Dileep Rao, Stoney Richards, Scott Rogers, John Rothman, Mike Sakellarides, Don Sanchez, Woody Schultz, Kevin Scullin, Sarah Seeds, leslie Shreve, Susan Snyder, Jeff Spurgeon, Jamal Story, Amir Talai, Peter Tocco, Sheila Ivy Traister, Stacey Travis, Nick Ullett, Pamela Weaver, Ben Whitehair, Eric Wydra, Rick Zahn, Liz Zazzi

Want Real Facts vetted by attorneys?

Visit SAG-AFTRA’s website to get the scoop—as vetted by attorneys—about what this contract actually means and does.

Learn The Facts About This Contract

The Big Picture

What Matters

The facts are clear. Two thirds of the National Board voted to put an additional $318 million into your pocket. $54 million of that to reinforce Pension & Health. But you won’t get that money unless you VOTE YES on this contract.
  • $318 million is a 4% gain over our previous contract and reinforces our P&H plans. We historically achieve a 3.6% gain
  • A 26% increase in fixed streaming residuals means substantial money into your pocket from shows on your favorite streaming networks
  • High-Budget Streaming Video on Demand (HBSVOD) residual income increases to almost $500 million by 2028, from $90 million in 2019
  • 2,100 additional yearly jobs for west coast background; continuing three straight negotiations where we achieved significant gains for background
  • More money in overtime for Stunt Performers
  • Groundbreaking simulated sex and nudity protections for both principal and background performers

This contract greatly benefits all members and is an excellent achievement in spite of a pandemic causing a work stoppage of over five months with no end in sight. 

Not only that, as we’ve all seen in this pandemic, people are watching streaming services, which is where this contract gained the most.

The Choice is Clear: Vote Yes

Don't be Fooled

The opposition believes that you should celebrate this victory with a self-inflicted wound. They urge you to reject these gains and jeopardize the return of our work precisely when that mistake will do the most damage to members who are already in financial crisis. The only alternative they offer is to not have a deal. If this non-strategy sounds familiar, it should. This is how the authors of the opposition statement lost hundreds of millions in member wages in 2008.

High-Budget Streaming Video on Demand (HBSVOD) (Netflix, Amazon, etc.)

  • The opposition makes literally no mention of the most impactful issue facing our members.
  • The high-budget SVOD gains (26% – 45% increase) will exceed syndication losses within 2-3 years and dramatically surpass them ever after. That’s called a good deal.
  • The supposedly “vague” Grandfathering provisions are crystal clear (read the summary), and a huge improvement over how this worked in 2014 and 2017.

Syndication

  • The 17 shows currently in syndication continue in syndication under their current formulas. The new formula provides an opportunity for new residuals, for shows that would never have syndicated.
  • The continuing decline of a business model based on local stations broadcasting linear, appointment television is inevitable. Streaming is the future. That’s what this deal secures.
  • Above-pattern improvement prohibiting advance pay for new contracts means you get actual money for your residuals, not a credit against a prepayment bargained into your contract.

Air Travel

  • Coach for under 1,000-mile domestic flights is already allowed.
  • Given the choice between rejecting this pattern proposal and putting record-setting sums of money in members’ pockets at a time of unprecedented need, we think we made the right call.
  • We improved the pattern here too by securing you free access to first-class lounges and priority boarding for coach flights outside of North America.

Stunts

  • Achieved our proposal to make an overtime improvement in episodic – that’s a gain!
  • Feature gain is better pursued in a negotiation that isn’t happening while movie theaters are closed.
  • Stunt community’s #1 priority in W&W was funding our Plans. We did that.

Background Actors

  • Background actors get 2,100 new jobs from a new covered position.
  • Union has addressed scanning/digital doubles successfully with studios outside of negotiations, and this deal sets Industry-wide discussion.
  • New and crucial nudity/simulated sex protection for background! Same as principals in all but two areas—auditions and notice—one of which (notice) is addressed in a different way.

Advance Pay, Options & Exclusivity, and New Media Below 20 Minutes:

  • The Union has creative ways to address these areas outside of bargaining.
  • These issues remain on our agenda for future negotiations – don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the great!

Consider the points above, your referendum materials, and go to www.sagaftra.org for more facts—and VOTE YES for our future!

The Statement of Opposition is Misleading:

  • We didn’t leave syndication. Syndication left us.
    • We would lose $43M from syndication in the next 3 years anyway
    • The 8-year loss is happening anyway 
    • There are only 17 shows currently in syndication, of which only a couple of those  shows have pre-1998 episodes.
    • Syndication has ceased to be a long-term income stream for us. If we did nothing, syndication income would fall from $96 million to less than $43 million in the next three years and to less than $15 million by 2028.
  • West Coast Background lost their union, SEG, in 1990 and all union coverage.
  • SAG didn’t achieve west coast background coverage until 1992 and gains have been made ever since.
  • We DID achieve parity for background in nudity protections; the only difference is due to the different time frame for hiring background and auditions
  • Grandfathering in HBSVOD has been eliminated
  • Negotiations led to increased safety training for Stunt Performers

Rather than chase after dying markets or gains that overwhelmingly impact our high-profile members, we put all our negotiating firepower towards the issues we know matter the most to you.

Every negotiation starts with a substantial list of “wants” from both sides. Then we negotiate. There are many things we are able to achieve but some things move off the table for another day. However, the fight for a better future never ends. 

We urge you to read through the contract and see what the actual gains are.

This contract, valued at a $318 million dollar gain, is the right contract for now and for the future. 

We urge you to vote yes.

Massive Gains in Nudity and Sexual Harassment Protections

SAG-AFTRA has been on the front line in the fight to protect members working in scenes with nudity and simulated sex.

Nudity

  • Ability to wear a modesty garment during auditions for roles which require nudity at the final callback. They cannot request or require you to be nude. 
  • No simulated sex allowed at auditions. 
  • Producers cannot require performer submit nude photos for final body audition.
  • Performer is required to be notified as soon as Producers know there may be nudity involved even if the actor has already been cast. 
  • Only the fewest essential personnel necessary may be present at final callback. Everyone must identify themselves and be visible to the performer even if they are watching remotely.
  • Clarified language that we do not allow real sex acts and clarified simulated non-nude sex acts.
  • A consent rider is now required to be signed by the performer for non-nude simulated sex acts which will help the performer know beforehand exactly what is expected of them. 
  • No cell phone or video photography during filming or rehearsals by any of the crew other than the still photographer. 
  • 48 hours notice of written consent in advance of call time that gives the performer time to know exactly what is expected and that no last minute changes can be thrown at them.
  • The 48 hours requires information to be provided about the nudity and/or simulated sex required; and ensuring that if you exercise your right to revoke consent at any time and the Producer exercises their corresponding right to double you, that doubling will still be limited to what was negotiated in your nudity rider.
  • Should you refuse after the 48 hour notification, they cannot add a body double doing anything other than what you already negotiated if you choose to not do the scene.
  • This contract will codify a more restrictive ‘closed set’ definition.
  • For BG, if they arrive on set and have something like nudity, simulated sex, orgy scenes, etc sprung on them they can refuse to do it and still be paid. This will help prevent it from happening and incentivize the Producers to notify BG ahead of the scenes and before they are signed up to work. 
  • Bathrobe or Cover up of some sort must be provided between takes for all performers when not engaged in the scene, or if practicable when there’s a pause in filming. 
  • Closed sets during nudity or sex scenes now include rehearsals. 
  • When you sign the consent form it will contain consent to still photography that could be used later for promotion. Those photos are now contractually obligated to only capture what is in your deal of consent to the scene and will be stored in a secure vault with access only to those with essential business purpose.The ability to access those stills
    will be severely limited. This is important because by codifying this in our contract it should be actionable should they breach this agreement. 
  • The UPM and Director will be notified of the parameters the talent has agreed to in their consent form for the scenes. This protects the performer from having things sprung on them or being told that the UPM or Director had no idea the performer had not agreed to something.

Sexual Harassment

Our contracts have always prohibited sexual harassment indirectly as a form of discrimination, but we now address harassment prevention in our Agreements directly. The new provision explicitly states the Producer’s obligation to maintain a workplace free from unlawful harassment, investigate complaints promptly and take appropriate action, make reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of the complaint and investigation, and refrain from retaliating against those who bring bona fide complaints in good faith or participate in an investigation.

Be Informed

Still Want to Learn More?

This is an incredible contract, and we’re confident you will feel the same way as you continue to learn the details of all the incredible gains.

I'm Ready to Vote Yes!

three steps to success

We Will Help You Every Step Of The Way

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cotns ctetur all of the adicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor ale dunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua Mauris amet.

01

learning about all your legal issues

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet of, cotns ctetur all of the adip scing sed do eiusmod dunt.

02

Pair you up with the Perfect Attorney

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet of, cotns ctetur all of the adip scing sed do eiusmod dunt.

03

Fight For You in Court

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet of, cotns ctetur all of the adip scing sed do eiusmod dunt.

Not Paid for with SAG-AFTRA Funds.