New York City – The Directors Guild of America's Network Negotiating Committee reached a tentative new three-year agreement with ABC, CBS, and NBC that has significant gains in health care and wage increases. The agreement covers staff and freelance members employed in news, sports and operations at the companies' television networks and at a number of their owned television stations. The agreements contain improvements in key economic areas and protect DGA jurisdiction and jobs while addressing network operational and technological concerns. The negotiations, which began in August 2004, concluded September 29 at 3:45 A.M.
"This has been a great month for DGA members and for me as their president. Last week we announced our tentative agreement with the studios and today I am proud to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with the networks on behalf of our members who work in news, sports and operations," said Michael Apted, President of the Directors Guild of America. "Considering the significant health and wage gains we were able to achieve with the studios, and now the networks, I am proud of what the Guild has been able to accomplish on behalf our members."
"Not only were we able to obtain wage increases on behalf of our members for the next three years, we were able to achieve significant health care improvements for freelance employees," according to Network Staff Negotiations Committee Chair William M. Brady. "The Guild's leadership position in the industry, the committee's careful and acute attention to change in our field, and the Networks' recognition of the quality of the DGA member, allowed us to work together to build a strong, yet flexible and mature contract."
The deal was formally announced at the Waldorf-Astoria Wednesday evening by DGA President Michael Apted as part of DGA Honors – the Guild's annual celebration of the achievements of individuals and organizations – which this year included Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, Sherry Lansing, Lorne Michaels, Bertrand Tavernier, FSU Film School and Congressmen Howard Berman and David Dreier.
Russell Hollander, the DGA's Eastern Executive Director added, "Our goal was to protect our members' health care – and with health rate increases kicking in early on January 1, 2005, with an additional increase in January, 2006 – we have given our members and the DGA's Health Plan an extra six months of health care gains that would not have happened if we had negotiated up to the deadline."
These negotiations were the second since 1987 in which the Guild negotiated an agreement with all three Networks simultaneously. The agreements will be submitted to the National Board of Directors of the DGA for approval at their board meeting on Saturday, October 2 and then will be sent to members for ratification.
