SAG-AFTRA Members Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract With Netflix

deadline.com:

Members of SAG-AFTRA have voted resoundingly to ratify a new contract with Netflix. According to the guild, the vote was 89.03% in favor of ratification, although it didn’t release the actual vote count or how many of its 171,000+ members voted.“The gains we achieved in this contract are historic,” said Fran Drescher, the guild’s president. “A convergence of opportunities to leverage presented themselves.

Now was the time to strike while the iron was hot or forever be chasing contract reconstruction always outside our grasp. The advances in reducing exclusivity are seminal.

The journeyman actor now has the freedom to work multiple jobs and make a living with less restrictions. Our negotiating committee, staff, board and member body all came together in perfect harmony.

We now enter into a new chapter that levels the playing field, giving actors the respect and dignity they so rightfully deserve.”“SAG-AFTRA has capitalized on Netflix’s willingness to negotiate for innovative change to achieve groundbreaking improvements for members ranging from background performers to series regulars,” said SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. “Real gains will better the lives of many SAG-AFTRA members, including new union jobs for background performers and Spanish language dubbing performers; new residuals for stunt coordinators; and huge improvements to options and exclusivity for series regulars.”One of the major achievements of the new agreement is an improvement in options and exclusivity provisions contained in performers’ personal service agreements – terms that can hold TV series regulars off the market and unable to work for unreasonably long periods of time.