Following nationwide voting, SAG-AFTRA announced Monday that affected members overwhelmingly approved the 2018 successor agreements to the 2014 Producer-SAG-AFTRA Television Animation Agreement and the 2014 Producer-SAG-AFTRA Basic Cable Agreement for Animated Motion Pictures by a vote of 95.18 percent to 4.82 percent.
The deal includes wage and benefit contribution increases, and the application of improved terms negotiated for live-action streaming programs to animation on these platforms.
“This was a very important negotiation for our members who work on television animation projects due to the expansive growth of streaming media,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “It was imperative that we ensure our members receive compensation that reflects an evolving business model. With approval of these agreements, members will continue to be fairly compensated for the work they do.”
“I commend members for voting to approve these agreements. These new contracts set important protections for members working in programs created for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and other streaming sites and ensures that our foothold in this area remains strong and significant,” added National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator David White.
Key points of the 2018 agreements include:
- Wage increases and benefit contribution rate improvements on par with the gains achieved in live action negotiations
- A 2.5% increase to minimums and .5% increase in the contribution rate to the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund effective Sept. 16, 2018
- A further 2.5% increase to minimums and .5% increase in the contribution rate to the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund effective Jan. 1, 2019
- A further 3% increase to minimums effective July 1, 2019, with the option to redirect .5% of that increase to the contribution rate to the SAG-Producers Pension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund
- The improved terms and conditions that were negotiated in 2017 for live-action programs produced for subscription-based streaming platforms will apply to animated programs produced for those platforms, with some modifications
The TV Animation Contracts cover animated programs produced for television, including network television, basic cable and streaming platforms such as Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime. The new deal will continue through June 30, 2020.
Formal negotiations between the SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee and the AMPTP began on October 30, 2017, in Los Angeles and concluded on September 19, 2018. The SAG-AFTRA National Board unanimously approved the tentative agreement at its October 20 meeting.
Learn more about the union’s activities in this sector at www.sagaftra.org/animation.
