Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1012073
For Members 18 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2018 | sagaftra.org HIGH COURT RULING ATTACKS UNIONS T he U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on June 27 that could have serious consequences for organized labor. The court decided that public sector workers who are not union members but are covered under a union contract don't have to pay their fair share for the costs of negotiating those contracts. Although the case, Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, focused only on public sector unions, by weakening part of the labor movement, it affects all unions. SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, who serves as a vice president on the AFL-CIO's executive council, condemned the ruling. "The Court made the wrong decision; a decision in favor of increasing the power of employers at the expense of their workers. Without engaged workers, union protections become more vulnerable. This ruling is a direct attempt to weaken unions, the very organizations who allow workers to speak together as one, to have a voice in their wages, their safety at work, and their healthcare and retirement. The Supreme Court's decision directly overturns a decision made by the Court in 1977. Have workers lives improved so much that unions can now be so blatantly attacked? Are workers all better off now? Are employers sharing in their success with all those who make them successful? No. "This shameful decision only serves to strengthen our resolve to find ways to protect working families in this country. Now more than ever as professionals, we must come together and renew our commitment to speak as one, to be strong in the face of all attempts to minimize us. We know that fighting for a better life for you and your family is what unions do. It's time for unions and the workers who make them vibrant and strong to show this court and those who would attack and diminish working people that this is unacceptable. When workers come together, workers win, and that did not change today." Unions are one of the last checks to corporate overreach and the exploitation of workers, and that's why the sustained attacks against them will not subside. Union members must continue to push back. Show your solidarity by urging your representatives to support policies that make it easier to join unions and rallying support on social media with the #Union hashtag. T he SAG-AFTRA National Board overwhelmingly approved a tentative agreement with the four major television broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox — and other producers on terms for a successor agreement to the National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting at its meeting on July 21. The proposal will now go to members for their ratification, with a voting deadline of August 16. "This deal delivers overall gains in important areas, including meaningful increases in wages and residuals rates that will put real money in members' pockets. Additionally, the agreement now reflects important new language limiting auditions or meetings in private hotel rooms and residences, which represents a partial realization of our work toward industry culture change," said SAG- AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. The proposed agreement delivers significant improvements in increases in contract minimums over a three-year period, including an 8.7 percent overall wage increase to most program fees, implemented through increases of 2.5 percent the first year, 3 percent the second year and 3 percent the third year. The agreement also significantly improves funding of the AFTRA Retirement Fund. The term of the contract is July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2021. The Network Television Code generates more than $200 million a year in covered member earnings and covers nearly all television day parts as well as programming produced for digital media. Covered programs include dramas in first-run syndication, morning news shows, talk shows, serials (soap operas), variety, reality, contest, sports and promotional announcements. Also at the meeting, the National Board received reports from officers and staff. Carteris spoke about the successful Network Television Code and Telemundo negotiations, the agreement reached with newly launched streaming platform Zeus, and provided an update on the union's efforts regarding its fight for digital image rights. National Executive Director David White delivered a summary overview of the changing business and regulatory landscape facing labor and our industry, the union's work with content creators and the importance of member involvement in the upcoming commercials contracts negotiations. Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin and Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto gave the financial report for the year ending April 30. The presentation also included a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers in which they issued an unqualified audit opinion. Ozzanto reported a year-end surplus of $8.3 million due to a combination of increased revenue and expense management. In addition to the above contracts news, the board also unanimously approved the Public Television Agreement bargained with Public Television companies WGBH, WNET, WETA, KCET, KQED, WQED Multimedia and Twin Cities Public Television Inc For voting and contract info, visit sagaftra.org/netcode. MEMBERS TO VOTE ON NETWORK TELEVISION CODE AGREEMENT