UFS on LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES
The legislative agenda under the leadership of Unite for Strength, USAN and members leaders from around the country has been remarkably productive, resulting in significant gains across a multitude of areas.
Working with Government & Public Policy staff, we are confident that under the leadership of Fran Drescher as President, we will continue to build on that success to benefit our members in this challenging time.
With Fran’s experience on Capitol Hill, successfully lobbying for bipartisan legislation as a Public Policy Advocate in both the Obama and Bush administrations, SAG-AFTRA will be positioned to be even more powerful in winning benefits for our members.
We are continuously working with our Entertainment Union Coalition to extend and enhance the California Film and Tax Credit Program. We helped to increase funding and secure our CA incentives until 2023.
We just had SB144 signed into law to secure more money to incentivize building more soundstage construction in CA. Diversity incentives which, if met, increase the production’s tax credit.
An extra $30 million for relocating series and $150 million for recurring television series.
TAX INCENTIVES
SAG-AFTRA led the way on the Deepfakes bill signed in 2019. You can now sue in CA for damages from a non-consensual “deep fake” images that appear online.
DEEPFAKES BILL
Four sexual harassment bills were signed in 2018, mainly dealing with statute of limitations, consent, training, and holding a job over someone for sexual favors. All big wins for the #MeToo movement and protecting our members.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The FAIR Act limits Options and Exclusivity clauses for actors and musicians. This would remove unfair restrictions from studio and label contracts. It restores actors’ and recording artists’ ability to choose what projects they work on and build a more diverse talent pipeline. Authored by Lorena Gonzales, this bill is on hold until 2022, but SAG-AFTRA will continue to lead the charge for passage.
FAIR ACT (IN PROCESS)
Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (PAPTA) QUALIFIED PERFORMING ARTIST TAX CREDIT (QPA):
SAG-AFTRA, with significant lobbying by President Carteris, EVP Rebecca Damon, Stacey Travis and Sandra Karas, member leaders and GAPP staff and in concert with our sister union Actors’ Equity, succeeded in securing congressional allies to introduce a bill in Congress in 2019 to enable more tax write-offs for performers that were lost in the Trump tax bill.
This bill, which was just introduced into the House by Representative Judy Chu (CA) has bipartisan support in the House and has positive indications for support in the Senate.
The union led this fight for many years as we lobbied in person to explain our business and QPA’s impact with other arts organizations. Along with actors, this hits musicians and all arts performers hard; as many as 300K performers will benefit from this credit being updated.
The QPA was signed into law as part of tax reform in 1986 and has since remained unchanged in the tax code. The new legislation rectifies a decades-long problem that limits creative professionals from deducting business expenses that had previously been allowed.
The bipartisan Performing Artist Tax Parity Act updates the thresholds of the QPA, which had been capped at an adjusted gross income of $16,000 since enactment 35 years ago.
This new bill would update the deduction to $100,000 for single filers and $200, 000 for married artists filing jointly. We have secured two sponsors in the House who have introduced it.
NATIONALLY
We worked hard to get KEY COVID relief for our members in 2020 – CARES Act, HEROES Act, secured Extra Unemployment Insurance money, and extended COBRA.
We managed to close the illegal streaming loophole. This is not the college student downloading a film, but the huge companies ruining our residual income, which was a huge win for us! Our members lose significant money from illegal streaming.
President Carteris, with GAPP leaders and staff, fought for Mixed income in 2020 which is additional covid relief for mixed earners, those people who make a living from W-2 and 1099 income, including many SAG-AFTRA members.
Our union wrote the language and Carteris and GAPP leaders made sure that it stayed in the bill. This brings an additional $100.00 to $300.00 a week in those getting unemployment insurance that fit the mixed income criteria.
COVID RELIEF
The Music Modernization Act was signed into law on October 11, 2018, aimed to modernize copyright-related issues for music and audio recordings due to new forms of technology such as digital streaming.
This was a hard fought win for our musician members.We are proud of all of these legislative victories, and look forward to building on this progress.
Titles used for identification purposes only.
MUSIC MODERNIZATION ACT
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📱 TV/TH & Streaming
You need contracts that work for the 21st Century. UFS is on the forefront of an ever evolving industry that changes almost by the minute; here's how.
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📺 Commercials
Negotiators. Organizers. Educators. We're working to ensure that opportunities are abundant and plentiful within this sector of the market.
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🦺 Safety
From the board room to the set, UFS has worked hard to ensure that SAFETY is a key priority in every avenue of your professional life.
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🧑🤝🧑 Diversity & Inclusion
UFS takes pride in having a slate that is representative of our members. We also fight for inclusion and equal rights. Learn more about where we stand on diversity.
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⚕️Healthcare
Learn about how UFS chose to "meet anger with action" by providing solutions during a grim reality instead of taking advantage of members during their weakest moment.
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🛑 Sexual Harassment
Times Up. Me Too. Four words that put our industry on notice. UFS listened, took note and made changes to ensure no member is ever taken advantage of again.
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🏛️ Legislative Victories
On the national scene, SAG-AFTRA is making its presence known. Learn more about how your union helped you in ways you may not have realized; from Hollywood to D.C.
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🎉 Member Support
A union is only as strong as its members. And its members are only as strong as they're educated. Learn what we're doing to make members as strong as possible.
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📋 Organizing
When members band together, anything is possible. We really value strength in unity. Learn about what we've accomplished when we decide to with each other.
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💸 Micro-Budget
There should never be any barrier to creating union work. This new agreement makes it easier for members to create union work.