Flash: DGA and Producers Reach Deal

[villager]

Source: Below the Line

LOS ANGELES – The Directors Guild of America (DGA) announced today that it has concluded a tentative agreement on the terms of a new 3-year collective bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Highlights of the new agreement include:

Increases both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract.

Establishes DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet.

Establishes new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.

Establishes residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet.

“Two words describe this agreement - groundbreaking and substantial,” said Gil Cates, chair of the DGA’s Negotiations Committee, in announcing the terms of the new agreement. “The gains in this contract for directors and their teams are extraordinary – and there are no rollbacks of any kind.”

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Read more: http://btlnews.com/blog/archives/125

[Bicoastal]

1. Now if only the Producers and the WGA could get their act together...nt

[villager]

2. This settlement will drive that one...

n/t

[aquart]

3. WTF??? I thought they were going to WAIT.

Oh. Gil Cates.

[villager]

4. Cates wants his Oscar broadcast!

n/t

[Omaha Steve]

5. The WGA had the chance to keep working until this happened

Why they didn't wait, I have no idea.

[Nickster]

6. Isn't this basically what the WGA asked for?

[villager]

7. Looks that way -- and it will probably force the WGA to settle

Then again, it was also easier for the AMPTP to give this deal to the directors "first," for personal, vendetta-ish reasons...

[Nickster]

8. Yeah, but that wouldn't be such a bad thing for the WGA. They get what they want and the

AMPTP gets their childish little jab of settling with the directors. Hell, if they want to feel like they forced the WGA's hand, let em. I was more worried that they were going to settle with the directors for a much worse plan and force the WGA to take that or stay out which would have given the AMPTP more leverage to bust the union up.

[villager]

9. exactly -- main sticking point is probably the wounded pride of the WGA leaders

whose strategy may be starting to backfire, in light of the DGA settlement...