Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/184869
T he Commercials Contracts are the first major contracts of the merged union, and they mean a lot to member Lauri Hendler, who has been a union member for nearly four decades, and was recently elected to the L.A. Local Board. Hendler got her card at age 9, when she shot her first commercial. As a self-described middle-class, working actor, Hendler served on the negotiating committee, spending weeks examining the provisions from every angle. When she was at last satisfied that the contract would benefit those who make their living in commercials, she gave it her full support, and all the dedication and hard work of her efforts triggered an emotional reaction. "I voted yes and I burst into tears," Hendler said. across-the-board 6% That level of passion is not uncommon among those who have helped negotiate this historic contract. Spearheading the negotiations was a combination of SAG-AFTRA member leaders and staff, including then-Co-President and Commercials Negotiating Committee National Chair Roberta Reardon; National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator David White; Negotiating Committee Vice Chairs Ilyssa Fradin, David Hartley-Margolin, Allen Lulu and Sue-Anne Morrow; Co-Lead Negotiators Mathis Dunn and Ray Rodriguez; and Senior Advisor John McGuire. "This committee really worked very hard as one group; we didn't have political divisions. I think it led to a stronger contract and a better process," Reardon said. The three-year contracts, retroactive to April 1, offer a 6-percent upfront increase to all wages subject to the health and pension/retirement plans, improvements in cable use fees, increases in payments for work on the Internet and new media platforms, an increase in the late payment fee, and an increase in contributions to P&H/H&R. The agreements also achieved recognition for the new union, merged the previous SAG and AFTRA television contracts into a single contract, and renamed the radio contract as a SAG-AFTRA contract. Members overwhelmingly approved the contracts in a vote tallied on May 31. The process of any negotiation involves parties with different agendas, but it doesn't mean the process has to be antagonistic. The Commercials Contracts negotiations were a perfect example, as both SAG-AFTRA and the ANA-AAAA Joint Policy Committee on Broadcast Talent Union Relations worked in partnership to arrive at a fair and equitable deal that values the work commercial performers do. GET INVOLVED The most important part of the process of securing a new contract begins long before anyone enters the negotiating room. Since bargaining is a process of give and take, the union's negotiators need to know the relative importance to the members of the various provisions, and the only way to do that is through member involvement. The wages and working conditions process — known as W&W — is the way SAG-AFTRA solicits feedback. For the commercials contracts, it wrapped up on Oct. 19, 2012, after hundreds of members voiced their concerns and priorities for the new contract. The W&W process for the Codified Basic Agreement, also known as the TV/Theatrical Contract, is now gearing up and will take place during the coming months. Interested locals will hold meetings to solicit member feedback, and communications via email are welcome as well. Those comments and concerns ultimately form the basis for the negotiations. Allen Lulu, who served as the Los Angeles Local chair of the W&W committee for the Commercials Contracts, as well as the vice chair nationally, said it is critical that members be involved in the process. "Decisions are made by those who show up," he said. To learn more about the Commercials Contracts, visit SAGAFTRA.org/ProductionCenter and click on the Commercials tab. There you will find an FAQ, the text of the agreements and a lot of other useful information. SAGAFTRA.org commercials_v17.indd 23 | Summer 2013 | SAG-AFTRA 23 8/28/13 2:49 PM