Directors Guild of America members have approved a new three-year deal with TV and film producers, the guild said Wednesday.
The DGA said its membership has voted by an overwhelming margin — though the guild didn’t release specific figures– to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The new contract’s three-year term will take effect on July 1, 2014 and will run through June 30, 2017.
Gains include an annual three percent wage increase; increased residuals bases; improvements in basic cable; the establishment, for the first time, of minimum terms and conditions for high-budget new media made for subscription video on demand; the establishment of a formal diversity program at the TV studios.
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“This negotiation was about laying the groundwork to protect our future in a meaningful way, and the result is a strong and forward-looking agreement with substantial gains for our members,” said DGA President Paris Barclay. “I am very proud of what our negotiations committee and the professional staff of the DGA have accomplished.”
Negotiations with the AMPTP began on in early November and concluded after three weeks of negotiations on Friday, Nov. 22. The DGA was led in the talks by Talks were led by DGA negotiations co-chairs Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme and DGA national executive director Jay D. Roth. AMPTP President Carol Lombardini led negotiations on behalf of the studios.
The DGA’s National Board of Directors unanimously recommended sending the contract to members for ratification on Nov. 23. A summary of the new contract was mailed to members, along with a voting ballot, and the results were tallied Tuesday night.
SAG-AFTRA’a contracts expire June 30, while the Writers Guild of America’s ends on May 1.