With the 1993 DGA Basic Agreement and Freelance Live and Tape Television Agreement set to expire on June 30, the Guild's National Board today unanimously voted to recommend acceptance of the terms of a new three year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
"The enthusiastic vote of our National Board is a strong endorsement of the tremendous effort and wisdom of the Guild's negotiating committees and staff," said DGA President Gene Reynolds. "The entire DGA membership owes a debt of gratitude to the extraordinary leadership of Negotiating Committee Chairperson Jack Shea and John Rich, Creative Rights Committee Chairpersons Martha Coolidge and John Frankenheimer, and all of the members of their respective committees."
Among the economic highlights of the new agreement are:
- Rate increases for all DGA categories.
- FOX residuals will increase by 51.25% over the term of the contract.
- Substantial rate increases for Directors of tape shows outside network primetime.
- Substantial rate increase for first Stage Managers on primetime dramatic shows.
- Substantial improvements in the Guild's ability to protect and collect residuals, by strengthening audit and security provisions.
- New, clear rules as to location employment.
- Strengthening the Third Area Qualification List and Associate Director/Stage Manager Criteria for employment.
New Creative Rights provisions include:
- Creation of an historic Code of Preferred Practices detailing basic creative rights guidelines for directors.
- Right of directors to edit versions of their films for post-theatrical release.
- The establishment of an on-going Producer-DGA Committee to address industry issues, creative rights problems and the Preferred Practices Code.
"The Directors Guild began initial meetings with the AMPTP last December in an effort to avoid the loss of employment caused by production slowdowns from studios anticipating the expiration of our contracts," commented DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth. "While a successful early negotiation is advantageous to all of us, the Guild insisted from the beginning that we would only accept an agreement which would substantially benefit our membership. In return, we agreed to limit the number of proposals we would present. Fortunately, we were able to achieve many important new contract provisions without forcing a slowdown in production."
The Guild's Negotiating Committee met with the AMPTP through the entire month of March and into early April before reaching a tentative agreement. The Creative Rights Committee held a series of meetings with chief executives from the studios during January. February, March and April before reaching an agreement that they could recommend to the National Board and membership.
Membership ratification of the new contract will be by mail ballot.
