AFTRA approves joint talks with SAG

Org repairs negotiating relationship with guild

By DAVE MCNARY

The American Federation of Television & Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild have officially repaired their negotiating relationship by taking a major step toward reconciliation — and joint negotiations — after a few years of hostility.

AFTRA’s national board voted Saturday to approve joint negotiations with SAG, which is already set to begin seven weeks of talks with the companies on its feature-preimetime deal on Oct. 1. AFTRA president Roberta Reardon said in the annnoucement that recent discussions between the performers’ unions had led to the decision by AFTRA to join up again with SAG, two years after AFTRA split off angrily from the guild and both unions negotiated separately.

SAG issued a strong endorsement of AFTRA’s action. “It’s terrific news for the memberships of both unions and we look forward to an effective negotiation,” a SAG spokesperson said.

AFTRA said the joint talks would take place under the three-decades-old Phase One agreement between SAG and AFTRA. It also noted that a two-year-old non-disparament agreement — brokered by the AFL-CIO to repair the damaged relationship — would remain in effect.

AFTRA also said the “wages and working conditions” meetings leading up to negotiations have not been scheduled at this time.

The current master feature-primetime contracts for SAG, AFTRA and the DGA with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expire on June 30, 2011. The Writers Guild of America’s deal — hammered out in early 2008 after a 100-day strike — expires on May 1, 2011.

AFTRA’s move was not a surprise. SAG announced a month ago on Jan. 31 that it would seek to start joint negotiations with AFTRA.

SAG, AFTRA and the WGA have not yet appointed a negotiating committee. The DGA announced four weeks ago that is had tapped Gil Cates’ to head its negotiating panel for the fourth consecutive time.

SAG’s national board — controlled for the past year and half by the Unite for Strength faction that’s sought to improve relations with AFTRA — has assigned SAG national exec director David White and president Ken Howard the task of mending fences with AFTRA.

Howard won the SAG presidency last fall with a platform that promised better relations with AFTRA — including seeking a merger — as the self-styled moderates gained more control over the 71-member panel, with more than 55%.

SAG has about 120,000 members, and AFTRA 70,000, with about 45,000 thesps holding dual membership. The two performers unions have shared jurisdiction in primetime TV shows that are shot on digital formats, and many of the new shows have opted for AFTRA deals in recent years.

The 2008 split between the unions culminated years of battling over jurisdiction and strategies — with SAG usually opting for the more confrontational approach. AFTRA leaders backed away from joint contract talks with SAG on primetime following a dispute over actors wanting to switch jurisdiction over a soap opera from AFTRA to SAG.

That led to AFTRA concluding a deal a year before SAG in July 2008 — despite SAG’s fervent opposition to ratification.

SAG’s board fired national exec director Doug Allen a year ago partly due to the deterioration in relations with AFTRA and replaced him with White — who reached the same deal on primetime as AFTRA’s last April. The ratification was backed by 78% of guild members who voted.