On March 24, members in the San Francisco Bay area attended the seminar An Insider’s Guide to the Guild’s New Working Contracts, a primer on the recent changes in the new Commercial Contract and the long-form Film and Television Contracts. Hosted by the Executive Committee of the San Francisco Coordinating Committee (SFCC), the seminar was held in San Francisco’s Delancey Street Boardroom and led by DGA Assistant Executive Director Lisa Layer.

A member of the negotiating team, Layer guided the participating members through the critical changes to the National Commercial Agreement that went into effect on December 1, 2011, and the changes to the Basic Agreement and the Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement that became active as of July 1, 2011. As illustrations of situations these agreements were designed to address, members shared personal stories of the challenges they encounter on the job. The group discussion that followed included advice from colleagues on how they have been successful in dealing with similar situations and how the Guild can help.

Attendees also received copies of the Jeffords Rules and Welch’s Commercial Production Guild and Union Rules, the ever-popular guides written in plain terms that cover DGA rules, as well as SAG, IA and Teamsters and rules, and Child Labor Laws. The Jeffords Rules and Welch’s Rules are available for download by logged-in members on the ADUPM Council pages of www.dga.org.