DGA Monthly

J U N E 2 0 2 6 I 5 DGA Renews Contract of National Executive Director Russell Hollander On April 27, DGA President Christopher Nolan announced that the Guild has extended National Executive Director Russell Hollander's contract through the end of 2029. "For nearly a decade as our National Executive Director, Russ has been a steward for the Guild and its members, seeing us through a period of tremendous upheaval in our industry." said Nolan. "From the pandemic to the strikes and the global contraction in production, Russ has always prioritized and protected the interests of our members, working closely with me, past Guild Presidents, and our National Board. We are grateful for his continued service to our community." Hollander has served as the DGA's National Executive Director since 2017 and oversees the Guild's work protecting and extending the economic and creative rights of its more than 19,500 members. He also acts as the Guild's chief negotiator, is responsible for setting the Guild's priorities, policies, and strategic agenda, and works with the elected President and Board of Directors. Hollander served as the Guild's chief negotiator in the 2020 and 2023 negotiations with the major studios and led the industry's return to work negotiations with the studios following COVID-19 work stoppages. He is Chair and a Trustee for the DGA-Producer Pension and Health Plans. "I'm honored by the Board's continued confidence in my service to the membership, especially during times of incredible change." said Hollander. "The beauty of our Guild is our defining, singular mission to advance the creative and economic rights of our members – and the secret to our longstanding success is the strong partnership between our elected leaders and our professional staff to fulfill that purpose. At a time when the rights of workers need strong champions, it is a privilege to dedicate myself to that purpose and to the members we serve." Hollander came to the DGA in 2001 as Assistant Executive Director, was promoted to Eastern Executive Director in 2002, Associate National Executive Director/Eastern Executive Director in 2011. Prior to joining the DGA, he was a partner at the labor law firm Cohen, Weiss, and Simon LLP where he specialized in the representation of labor organizations and employee benefit plans. Hollander received his law degree from Harvard University and his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. DGA Supports NY FAIR News Act On May 6, former CBS News Senior Associate Director/past DGA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Scott Berger, DGA Associate Eastern Executive Director Michael Berger and DGA Field Representative Meghan Brophy joined New York State Senator Patricia Fahy and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic for a press conference and lobbying day in Albany, NY for the NY FAIR News Act (Fundamental Artifi cial Intelligence Requirements News Act). They were joined by representatives of other major unions supporting the bill, including SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America East, and the NewsGuild of New York. Introduced in February 2026 by Fahy and Rozic, the NY FAIR News Act is a proposed law aimed at regulating AI in journalism. The legislation seeks to maintain public trust in media, uphold journalistic standards, and address the impact of AI on journalism jobs. It mandates clear disclaimers for AI- generated content, enforces human oversight, and includes protections for media workers against job displacement. Under the bill, employers must disclose how and when AI tools are used within the workplace. The bill has also received support from the New York State AFL-CIO. Photo: Former CBS News Senior Associate Director/past DGA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Scott Berger speaks in support of the NY FAIR News Act during a press conference and lobbying day in Albany, NY. DGA Begins Negotiations with the AMPTP Negotiations with the AMPTP began on May 11 and are scheduled to proceed through June 5. As always, our goal is to achieve the best deal possible for our members during a time of tremendous change in the film and television landscape. Thank you to the Guild's 70-person negotiating committee — under the leadership of Chair Jon Avnet, Co-Chair Karen Gaviola, and Chief Negotiator Russ Hollander — for their work on this critically important process. The Guild will keep members updated directly as we have news to share. During this time, the DGA will observe a mutually agreed media blackout.

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