LOS ANGELES – The National Board of the Directors Guild of America has unanimously voted to recommend ratification of a new four-year collective bargaining agreement.
The recommendation follows a specially convened meeting of the National Board, during which the Chairs of the Negotiations Committee and National Executive Director Russell Hollander presented the details of the Tentative Agreement reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on June 9, 2026.
“We entered this negotiation with three main priorities: secure our Health Plan, protect jobs, and ensure that our members remain secure as AI continues to impact our industry. We succeeded in these areas and gained in many others,” said DGA President Christopher Nolan. “I am pleased to present the results of the Committee’s outstanding work to the membership for approval and ratification.”
The Agreement is the result of more than 18 months of preparation, research, member engagement, and negotiations on behalf of DGA members across all categories. Throughout bargaining, the Guild remained focused on protecting members, strengthening the Guild, and addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the entertainment industry during a period of significant transformation.
The resulting Agreement delivers meaningful gains for members and establishes important frameworks to further strengthen the economic and creative rights of directors and members of the directorial team in the years ahead.
Highlights of the Agreement include:
- Health Care Contributions: Largest contributions in the history of the Health Plan, ensuring the Plan’s future stability.
- Wages and Residual Gains: Salary increases and meaningful residuals improvements across all areas.
- Commitment for a Federal Tax Incentive: Secured a commitment by the companies’ most senior management to advocate for a federal film and television tax incentive.
- Renewed 2023 AI Safeguards: Negotiated in 2023 and renewed in this Agreement, we reaffirmed that our work must continue to be performed by a person.
- Enhanced Generative AI Protections: Establishes Director’s control over AI-generated footage and creates a new employer-funded skills enhancement program.
Negotiations were led by National Executive Director Russell Hollander, Negotiations Committee Chair Jon Avnet, Vice-Chair Karen Gaviola, and a 70-member committee representing every category of DGA membership.
The ratification vote will conclude on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PT.
Additional details regarding the agreement and the ratification process are available to DGA members through official Guild communications.
