SAG-AFTRA’s National Board has voted overwhelmingly to approve a new three-year contract with Netflix. The contract now goes to the guild member for approval.
“We’ve got a really good deal,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, who chairs the guild’s negotiating committee. “We further improved the technical conditions, allowing short-term photographers to have more freedom to work on other projects and ensure short pauses between pickups.”
According to the guild, the agreement creates a “no-dispute window” of at least three months each season during which performers can accept an express approval on a other shows or connections without prior confirmation of availability and scheduling with Netflix. The guild also said that the new agreement contains “significant changes that will benefit the artists, manage lobbying and the artists, and expand the SAG-AFTRA media in the Spanish language.”
Netflix also agreed with SAG-AFTRA that the company will join the collective bargaining group represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, and future agreements with Netflix will be made in conjunction with AMPTP negotiations. “Some issues are included in the general agreement of the industry with the AMPTP and will be discussed in the upcoming negotiations, including the increase in wages (rates) and the use of the remaining schedules, among others,” said the guild.
“Testimonies from our clients offered compelling and convincing arguments in support of opening the cracks of social media on the filmmakers,” Drescher said in a statement. “Everyone was represented and we won unprecedented success. It took a long time, a lot of pushing beyond their comfort zone and now that it’s all said and done, the board and staff have an agreement that they feel very satisfied with. Travelers, who are often squeezed into the middle, benefit the most under these new terms, and we have also made great strides for musicians.
“As the landscape of the industry changes, streaming has become one of the most important areas of focus,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the guild’s chief executive and chief executive. “Advertising is the present and future of entertainment, and this agreement reflects that fact. Our team fought hard for success across the board, and people will feel that the I am very proud of our expansion of Spanish-language broadcasting, which provides equal pay for equal work regardless of the of the language used. Another big step forward in our fight for equality, which is also represented by the addition of a four day holiday celebrating Juneteenth.”
He added: “I would like to express my gratitude to President Drescher for his service as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and to all members of the Board of Directors for their dedicated work in this negotiation. I would also like to thank Lead Negotiator Ray Rodriguez for his exceptional efforts, along with our skilled negotiating staff.
The contract also establishes a new Albuquerque Background Actor Zone within a 30-mile radius of Albuquerque City Hall. It represents the first new backcountry zone in 24 years.
And, for the first time under any agreement, the guild said, “producers will be paid a fixed balance for the continuation of shows on Netflix as a high-budget broadcast program created under the Netflix Agreement.”
The Netflix Dubbing Agreement has also been expanded to include dubbing in Spanish. The terms for the Spanish translation will be the same as the terms for the English version.
Negotiations for the new contract began on June 27 and continue through August 2. Netflix’s deal is for scripted, episodic shows. and long-form shows created by Netflix Studios, LLC.
SAG-AFTRA signed its first direct deal with Netflix three years ago. Before that, the giant monster ran the guild on production and production. Guild officials said at the time that, without exception, the terms of the contract followed the guild’s Codified Basic Agreement and Television Agreement.
