SAG, AFTRA get OK from AFL-CIO
Unions can negotiate jointly with AMPTP
Tuesday's announcement -- issued without comment by either performers union or the AMPTP -- is another signal that negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers could start as early as April 1.
The move came after more than a month of threats by the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists to negotiate separately from SAG. The unions began mending fences two weeks ago but have persisted in wrangling as recently as last weekend over such issues as whether to include basic cable as part of the upcoming contract negotiations as part of the 27-year-old Phase One agreement.
The AFL-CIO, which noted that it had hosted several recent meetings at the request of the unions, appears to be aimed at removing any doubt that SAG and AFTRA will negotiate together, according to one labor insider.
"Both SAG and AFTRA have now advised president John J. Sweeney that they are fully committed to jointly negotiating and jointly administering the television/theatrical contract through its term pursuant to the terms of the Phase One joint bargaining agreement," the AFL-CIO said. "We congratulate the two unions for reaching agreement on this important matter and look forward to productive joint negotiations."
The statement also indicates that although disputes between SAG and AFTRA remain, the labor federation's likely to serve as a facilitator to help work through differences.
The AMPTP requested last week to start negotiations on April 1 -- three months before expiration of the current pact. SAG national exec director Doug Allen responded by saying he needed to consult with the SAG national board, AFTRA and the joint SAG-AFTRA board before giving a definite answer, even though AFTRA's been pushing to start negotiations sooner rather than later.
SAG agreed last week to set March 25 and 26 as dates for joint meetings of the wages and working conditions panels and March 29 as the date for a joint national board meeting to develop the proposal package for negotiations with the AMPTP.
Ever since the WGA strike ended Feb. 12, SAG has been under pressure from high-profile members to start negotiations as soon as possible. The AMPTP announced Feb. 14 that it was ready to start bargaining with the actors.
The recent dust-up over basic cable stems from the fact that the two unions negotiate separate deals with cable companies. SAG's long been irked over AFTRA offering lower initial rates while AFTRA leaders have criticized SAG over its lack of flexibility in a "one-size-fits-all" approach to contracts in this area.
SAG's portion of the basic cable contract will expire June 30. AFTRA has said that it's willing to discuss the issue of joint negotiations in cable after the feature-primetime negotiations are completed and that contract has been ratified.
