Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1325752
52 SAG-AFTRA | Winter 2021 | sagaftra.org began operation in May 2016 to field calls, chats and emails touching on a wide spectrum of questions regarding membership, billing, residuals, web support and contracts. The Contact Center has racked up an extraordinary volume of communications since its inception: 825,000 calls, 115,000 emails and 52,000 chats fielded, answering 70% of those inquiries within 30 seconds, as well as offering web- based, self-service options that answered 98.5% of questions posed. A concerted effort to get money into members' pockets faster led to the union developing a sophisticated claims reporting and tracking process. CLAIMS TRACKING is already live on SAG-AFTRA's website, with the reporting option now in advanced beta- testing. Previously, resolving a member's claim for payments or royalties could take months, during which a member might not hear any update because paperwork would often be stuck with the employer. "So, we put together our business unit, with our information technology experts, our contracts and legal departments, who together worked to fashion a software program that integrates with our broader information systems to cut down that time frame dramatically," said White. That system, added Rao, will make life easier for both the member and staff. "The innovation is the reduction on staff time, there is more transparency because a performer can track the status of the claim and, in the new system, we have a dashboard so any union representative can take over the case and look at the status easily," he said. Technology and innovation will also be backing up every performer's desire to work on a set without fear of harassment. A SEXUAL HARASSMENT REPORTING APP will give members a tool to swiftly report incidents of harassment, as well as offer up referrals for therapeutic, legal and law enforcement assistance. The app, which is in its final development stage, will also help identify serial offenders. Aiming to smooth along the production process led the union's innovation and technology experts to envision seamless, interlinked CAST CLEARANCE and TAFT-HARTLEY ONLINE tools. Once operational, the casting director, with one click, will be able to upload a full spreadsheet of performers for safe and secure sign-off. With the cast clearance list in place, each Taft-Hartley submission will be far more accurate and speedier, saving about 10 minutes per submission — a huge boon for a production where every minute saved translates positively into the financial bottom line. Innovation to aid the production process isn't always about technology. Take the MICRO-BUDGET PROJECT AGREEMENT , which looks to streamline the signatory process for independent producers who might typically have fallen under existing agreements for new media, short projects or student films. The agreement covers budgets of $20,000 or less per picture or per episode that are live- action productions recorded entirely in the United States. "With the Micro-Budget Agreement, we've now made the whole signatory process much easier," commented White. "We think that will help attract the young, smart talent out there to be part of the union. We are making sure that even with limited resources, we are prioritizing projects without sacrificing the next wave of projects." Black Panther was a box office hit, and movie-goers were enthralled with the illusion of the powers of the magical suit worn by Chadwick Boseman's character, King T'Challa. For SAG-AFTRA members, though, technology and innovation have been harnessed in real life to reap a better paycheck and security at work. The member Contact Center has racked up an extraordinary volume since its inception: 825,000 CALLS, 115,000 EMAILS, & 52,000 CHATS answering 70% of those inquiries within 30 SECONDS, as well as offering web-based, self-service options that answered 98.5% of questions posed. INNOVATION CONTINUES