January 8, 2014
Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced that the DGA membership has voted by an overwhelming margin to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
“With this vote, the DGA membership has decisively demonstrated its support for the new contract,” said Barclay. “This negotiation was about laying the groundwork to protect our future in a meaningful way, and the result is a strong and forward-looking agreement with substantial gains for our members. I am very proud of what our Negotiations Committee and the professional staff of the DGA have accomplished.”
Negotiations with the AMPTP began on Monday, November 4 and concluded after three weeks of negotiations on Friday, November 22. Talks were led by Negotiations Co-Chairs Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme and DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth. On November 23, the DGA’s National Board of Directors unanimously recommended sending the contract to members for ratification. A summary of the new contract was mailed to members, along with a voting ballot, and the results were tallied last night.
Gains include an annual 3% wage increase; increased residuals bases; significant improvements in basic cable; the establishment, for the first time, of minimum terms and conditions for high-budget new media made for subscription video on demand (SVOD); the establishment of a formal diversity program at every major television studio; and important improvements in theatrical and television creative rights; among many other advances.
The new contract’s three-year term will take effect on July 1, 2014 and will run through June 30, 2017.