In a quiet contrast to the contentiousness over the SAG feature-primetime contract, about 150,000 SAG and AFTRA members will begin receiving ratification ballots for the commercials pact Friday.
No opposition's yet emerged to the commercials deal, which received unanimous backing from the joint negotiating committee and the joint boards of the two unions. The 45,000 members who belong to both unions will receive only a single ballot.
The ballots are due back by May 21.
The commercials deal marked a return to joint negotiations by SAG and AFTRA, which split angrily a year ago and negotiated separate primetime deals. The unions and the ad industry reached the tentative agreement -- which represents a $36 million pay hike over three years, including $21 million more in pension and health contributions -- on April 1.
The commercials pact, which covers nearly $1 billion in annual blurb work, will be retroactive to April 1 and run through March 31, 2012. SAG and AFTRA staged a bitter six-month strike in 2000 against the ad industry, but the tough economic times plus a shift in control of SAG's national board to a more moderate faction last fall provided strong indications that a commercials strike was unlikely.
SAG still has not set a date for sending out the ballots for the feature-primetime pact, which received backing from only 53% of the SAG national board April 19 as the moderates prevailed over the hardline Membership First faction. Those ballots will go out to SAG's 120,000 members early next month.
Membership First is battling the ratification on grounds that voting the deal down would force the congloms to offer SAG better terms in new media. Proponents have contended that the pact will bring about much-needed stability plus pay raises to thesps, who have worked without a contract for nearly a year.
Contact Dave McNary at
dave.mcnary@variety.com