October 25, 2016
National Board Votes Unanimously to Send Agreement to Members for Ratification
Los Angeles – On Saturday, October 22, the DGA National Board of Directors voted unanimously to send a tentative new Network Staff Agreement to members for ratification. The three-year agreement with ABC, CBS and NBC covers staff and freelance members employed in news, sports and operations at the companies’ television networks and at a number of their owned local television stations. The Network Agreements are separate from the Guild’s Basic Agreement and are also negotiated every three years.
The tentative agreement incorporates wage and pension increases, as well as other gains. New provisions include:
- Increased wages and fees by 2% in the first year of the contract, and 2.5% in both the second and third years for a compounded wage increase of 7.2% over the term of the Agreement;
- Increased Employer contribution to the DGA-Producer Pension Plan by 0.5%, to a total of 6%. In the second and third years of the Agreement, the DGA will also have the right to divert 0.5% of the negotiated wage increase to either the DGA pension or health plan;
- Provisions to address opportunities for DGA members to work on new media projects and assignments;
- Provisions to address various concerns of Local Station directors related to jurisdiction, long hours and compensation.
The negotiations between the DGA’s Network Negotiations Committee and ABC, CBS and NBC began in September in New York and concluded in early October. The Committee was headed by Chair John LiBretto and Associate National Executive Director Russell Hollander, with Co-Chairs Scott Berger and Brett Holey also assisting.
“In an environment in which local stations, sports and news operations face ever-increasing pressures, it is a testament to both the skill of the Negotiations Committee and to the high value that our members continue to bring to news, sports and operations that the Committee was able to negotiate this agreement,” said DGA President Paris Barclay. “John and the entire Negotiations Committee should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
“The Negotiations Committee was made up of staff and freelance employees, all long-time veterans of networks and local stations, and together we represented a formidable, respected and respectful professional group intent upon securing an agreement that ensured economic gains, jurisdictional assurances and additional work opportunities throughout the term of this contract,” said LiBretto. “With the support and assistance of Guild staff behind us every step of the way, we achieved our goals and were able to conclude an agreement that we can all be very proud of.”
“The Negotiations Committee also successfully fended off a number of proposals that would have lessened the strength and quality of this agreement, while defending previous gains. They achieved a strong and impactful agreement with real improvements that will stand our members in good stead for years to come,” added Hollander.
The Guild’s current contract with the networks expires on June 30, 2017. If ratified, the new contract will cover the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2020.