SAG-AFTRA Reaches Historic Deal with Record Labels

Landmark Deal is the First Industrywide Agreement Covering Music Video Performers

LOS ANGELES (June 1, 2012) — SAG-AFTRA today announced that it had reached tentative agreement with the major record labels — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, EMI Music and The Walt Disney Co. — on a first-ever industrywide contract to cover dancers and other performers on music videos.

The three-year agreement was reached in the early morning hours of June 1, after the current round of talks between the union and label representatives commenced on May 30 in Los Angeles.

“Today we reached a historic, tentative agreement with the first industrywide contract for music video performers,” SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White said. “Our negotiations were productive, resulting in solid gains for SAG-AFTRA members. We also laid the groundwork for a cooperative partnership with the industry that will benefit members throughout the term of the agreement.”

“The industry really stepped up and worked with us to give performers a solid contract for music videos,” said SAG-AFTRA Assistant National Executive Director of Sound Recordings Randall Himes. “The changing nature of the music video industry made these negotiations more important than ever. Our agreement with the labels gives performers the working conditions they deserve, while also recognizing realities of the industry. I also want to recognize our members for leading the way. They were committed and mobilized to get this agreement and they have my total respect and admiration for their support and dedication.”

“We are grateful for the strong partnership that we continue to have with SAG-AFTRA,” stated Universal Music Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge. “This agreement not only reflects that relationship, but is testament to the vision that we share with David and Randy in working together to meet the many new challenges facing the music industry.”

The effort to reach this agreement was led, in large part, by top dancers and choreographers in the industry, including SAG-AFTRA Board members Bobbie Bates, Sharon Ferguson and Galen Hooks, and included a member mobilization campaign that began with the teaming of then-AFTRA and Dancers’ Alliance, a grassroots organization dedicated to educating dancers and building solidarity in the dance community.

Dancer and negotiating committee member Galen Hooks said, “This agreement is revolutionary for the dance community. For the first time, we have nationwide guarantees for health and retirement benefits for performers, choreographers and assistant choreographers, as well as guaranteed fair pay, safe working conditions and reuse fees. I'm so proud of SAG-AFTRA and Dancers’ Alliance."

The agreement is the first major contract negotiated by SAG-AFTRA, creating a separate contract under the existing AFTRA National Sound Recordings Code that provides safe and fair working conditions and health and retirement for virtually all performers employed in the production of music videos, including dancers, actors, narrators, singers, models and stunt performers. Choreographers and assistant choreographers are also covered in the contract for purposes of receiving health and retirement contributions.

Highlights of the contract include:

Minimum daily rate for dancers
Contract covers all videos produced by any production company producing music videos on behalf of the labels
A 12.5-percent contribution to AFTRA H&R for all covered performers
Guaranteed production conditions, including water, toilets, chairs and shelters
A binding grievance and arbitration process
Union access to auditions, rehearsals and productions
Improved audition conditions, including notification to performers (or their representatives) of start times; individual audition times no longer than four hours; suitable shelter provided during auditions; scale paid if audition footage is used in a music video and re-use of audition footage is paid pursuant to a re-use agreement
12-hour rest periods between call times, including rehearsals, makeup and wardrobe
Safety protections and additional compensation for hazardous performances
Wardrobe allowance
Agreement to form a joint labor-management committee to work together to resolve issues as they arise and to assess employment patterns and other matters over the term of the contract.

Negotiations commenced between AFTRA and the representatives for the labels in June of 2011 and no agreement was reached at that time. The two sides returned to the bargaining table in January 2012, but again, no agreement was reached, though progress was made on a number of issues.

The two sides reached a breakthrough in productive negotiations with informal talks earlier in May. Formal bargaining resumed May 30 and 31, and the deal was ultimately reached at 1:30 a.m. PDT on June 1.

The tentative agreement will now go to the SAG-AFTRA National Board for approval.

About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.

Follow SAG-AFTRA on Twitter (twitter.com/sagaftra) and Facebook (facebook.com/sagaftra).

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