The AFTRA/SAG 2-Year TV/Film contract with the Production Companies comes up for renewal on June 30 2011. Negotiations for a new contract will begin in earnest in the 4th quarter of 2010.

Here are some Background Actors suggestions for the SAG Board in negotiating a new contract. Your input is welcome, please E-mail us.

Our theme for contract negotiations is:
"MAKE SAG A NATIONAL UNION FOR ALL MEMBERS WITH EQUAL PAY & BENEFITS"

1. Increase the number of jobs available for SAG Background Actors:
a) Expand the current Background zones to include the entire USA (all 50 states + DC).
b) Increase the quotas for Background Actors to 40 TV and 100 Film nationwide the first year (including all Stand-ins and Foremen), 45/110 the second year and 50/125 the third year.
c) Allow Production to hire Non-Union Background Actors below the SAG quota in remote areas of the USA , but only after a concerted effort to hire SAG first, including national advertising.

2. Equal access to all SAG Background jobs.
Production will not allow Casting Directors to send SAG Background jobs to any third parties such as Calling Services, Casting Services or any other service requiring a fee of any kind from Background Actors. Production would require that all SAG Background Actors jobs be listed by Casting Directors either on their telephone hotline, physically displayed inside their office (freely accessible to Actors during normal business hours) or on their website. The jobs maybe displayed elsewhere also, provided no fee of any kind is payable by Background Actors to access the complete information on the jobs.

3. SAG Background Actors Pay:
a) The base Background daily rate to be adjusted upward for the rate of inflation, starting with the SEG rate of $86.32 in 1990 up until June 30 2007. Then, a 5% base pay increase, each year of the contract, starting July 1 2008.
b) Overtime Pay. Expand the current New York zone Background Actors Overtime Pay to include the entire USA (all 50 states + DC).
This would be Time-and-a-half after 8 hours and Double time after 10 hours (the same as SAG Principal Actors).
c) Night Premium Pay. Expand the current New York zone's Background Actors Night Premium Pay to cover the entire USA (all 50 states + DC).
d) Direct Deposit. Require a box on all vouchers which Background Actors could check if they wanted direct deposit of their paycheck into a US bank of their choice (set up in advance by the Background Actor). The existing rule for mailing checks would apply for direct deposit also (Thursday after the week worked). Paycheck Tax deduction information would be put on the Payroll Service's website with password access or emailed or mailed to the Actor.

4. SAG Background Actors Special Compensations:
a) Travel allowance. This has not changed since 1997! Travel allowance to be increased to the current IRS standard mileage business rate ($0.445 per mile) and then pegged forever to the latest updated IRS standard mileage business rate.
b) Car Allowance. This has not changed since 1997! Introduce a new scale that would pay a higher rate for luxury cars and antique cars. The current allowance of $35 is inadequate and nowhere near the current outside daily rental rates for these type of vehicles. Suggested allowances - Cars over 75 years old - $100. Cars 50 to 75 years old - $85. Cars 25 to 50 years old - $65. Modern Luxury Cars - $65. All other cars - $50.
c) Shaved Head Allowance. If an Actor with a normal head of hair is required by Production to shave their head for a Background role, then that lowers the chances of that Actor being hired again on another production until their hair grows out again, so there should be a new allowance of $50 per day for a shaved head. Any Background Actor who normally has a shaved head and/or has previously submitted a photo of themselves with a shaved head to Casting Agencies, would be excluded.

5. SAG Background Foremen:
Require one Background Foreman, appointed by SAG, on every set (included in the new quotas). Production would pay a premium of $25 on their base pay, per foreman per day. The foreman would be the first Background Actor to arrive on the set and the last to leave. They would be expected to play a Background role just like any other Background Actor on the set. In return for this premium, the Foreman would co-ordinate with PA's and AD's on the set regarding all SAG Background Actors hired that day and try and resolve any SAG Background problems that might arise.

6. Abolish Non-Deductible Breakfast.

7. Abolish Grace.

8. First In, Last Out. Currently, the SAG Commercial contract contains a provision whereby SAG Actors are required to be first on the set where there are staggered check-in times. Also, when there is overtime involved, SAG actors are required to be the last to leave the set. This rule should be extended to the TV/Film contract. Currently, Non-Union is often first in and last out on TV/Film sets, thus depriving SAG Actors of overtime pay.

9. Signing of SAG Vouchers:
Production to require all AD's and PA's to attend a one-time class at their local SAG office on how to fill out SAG vouchers correctly. Allow PA's to sign Background vouchers at the end of each day on the set, but only after they have attended and graduated this class. Currently only AD's are permitted to sign vouchers.

In return for Production agreeing to the new items (above) in the contract renewal, SAG Actors are willing to agree on pay cuts in the following areas:
1. The rate paid to a Principal SAG Actor for 5 lines and under (only) would be reduced from the current $737 daily base rate to a $450 daily base rate.

2. Weekly Background Pay Scale. A new weekly Background base pay rate for 5 consecutive work days, at the rate of 5 days base pay less 5%. A contract would be required in advance of work.

Your input is welcome, please E-mail us.

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