Entertainment unions approve new contract.

SAG, AFTRA members to get hike in minimum pay

Members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract granting performers an 11 percent minimum pay increase for most television and motion picture productions.

The move caps lengthy and often contentious negotiation that began in February when the unions sat down at the bargaining table with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Big Three networks - ABC, CBS and NBC.

The contract was approved by more than 96 percent of those union members returning their ballots, and went into effect July 1.

Under the contract, principal performers - those speaking at least one line - will receive a 10.9 percent increase in their minimum pay over the next three years. In the first year of the deal, principal performers will make a minimum of $522 a day, and $1,813 a week, up from $504 a day and $1,752 a week.

Producers will also increase their contribution to the SAG pension plan by 0.5 percent. AFTRA negotiates its health and retirement provisions separately.

Harry Medved, spokesman for the Screen Actors Guild, said the contract included provisions both the unions and management were seeking.

"We're happy that the union was able to work with management and hammer out a fair contract." Medved said. "Our membership gave us one of the highest approval ratings for the theatrical contract in recent history."

Networking

The new contract also addressed the touchy subject of how to treat emerging television networks such as Fox, United Paramount Network and the WB Network, which lack the more than 15 hours of prime time broadcasting a week to make official network status in the eyes of the Federal Communications Commission. As such, the Fox network has paid less in residual rates to performers.

While Fox still will not be paying the same rates as the Big Three networks, it will now calculate residuals for prime-time reruns based on the performers' actual pay rate, given certain ceilings. Previously, residuals had been calculated on the minimum rate, regardless of what the performer was actually making.

This change will increase a performer's residual checks by as much as 50 percent, and will raise Fox's residual rate to 60 percent of what the other networks pay, up from about 40 percent now.

Extra consideration

In another provision of the contract, minimum pay for guest stars who appear on Fox, UPN and WB shows will include an extra day's worth of pay, or $522 during the first year of the contract.

"Extra" performers operating under SAG's West Coast jurisdiction will see their minimum rates increase 32 percent by the third year of the contract - up from a current $65 a day now.

In return, the unions gave up some concessions to producers. Overtime pay for principal performers will be calculated on six-minute intervals. Previously, overtime was calculated on one-hour intervals, meaning, for example, three minutes of overtime work granted another hour's pay.

Producers also will receive more flexibility in weekly work schedules.

In total, contact ballots were sent out to more than 114,000 members of SAG and AFTRA. Only 30,160 members - 27 percent - returned their ballots, SAG officials said.