Roberta Reardon was unanimously re-elected to a second two-year term as national president of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists at the union's biennial national convention Saturday in Chicago.
Representatives of the union's 32 locals and chapters also approved a $300 increase in the initiation fee to join AFTRA, upping it to $1,600, effective Nov. 1. All revenue raised as a result of the fee increase has been exclusively designated for organizing efforts to increase employment opportunities for union performers and broadcasters.
The three-day 62nd National Convention, held at the Hyatt Regency, also saw the re-election of national first vp Bob Edwards, a satellite radio host from Washington; second national vp Ron Morgan, an actor from Los Angeles; national treasurer Matt Kimbrough, a Los Angeles actor; and national recording secretary Lainie Cooke, a New York actor.
National vps re-elected were Denny Delk, Holter Graham, Bob Butler, Catherine Brown, Jim Ferguson and Shelby Scott.
Representatives of the union's 32 locals and chapters also approved a $300 increase in the initiation fee to join AFTRA, upping it to $1,600, effective Nov. 1. All revenue raised as a result of the fee increase has been exclusively designated for organizing efforts to increase employment opportunities for union performers and broadcasters.
The three-day 62nd National Convention, held at the Hyatt Regency, also saw the re-election of national first vp Bob Edwards, a satellite radio host from Washington; second national vp Ron Morgan, an actor from Los Angeles; national treasurer Matt Kimbrough, a Los Angeles actor; and national recording secretary Lainie Cooke, a New York actor.
National vps re-elected were Denny Delk, Holter Graham, Bob Butler, Catherine Brown, Jim Ferguson and Shelby Scott.
- 8/9/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AFTRA has reached an agreement with video-game employers to extend its interactive-media contract for one year.
Terms of the extension for the union’s collective-bargaining agreement covering performers in video games include a bump in compensation and contributions to AFTRA’s health and retirement plans.
The extension goes from Dec. 31 to Dec. 31, 2009. Under its terms, performers will receive a 3% increase in initial compensation for all session fees and a half-percent increase in health and retirement contributions, both starting Jan. 1.
"We are pleased to have reached an extension agreement with the major video-game employers that keeps AFTRA members working and secures solid increases in wages and benefits on par with the five other major national contracts AFTRA negotiated earlier this year," said Denny Delk, chairman of AFTRA's interactive media steering committee. "It's a testament to the vision and bargaining power of AFTRA members that, in a time of global economic crisis,...
Terms of the extension for the union’s collective-bargaining agreement covering performers in video games include a bump in compensation and contributions to AFTRA’s health and retirement plans.
The extension goes from Dec. 31 to Dec. 31, 2009. Under its terms, performers will receive a 3% increase in initial compensation for all session fees and a half-percent increase in health and retirement contributions, both starting Jan. 1.
"We are pleased to have reached an extension agreement with the major video-game employers that keeps AFTRA members working and secures solid increases in wages and benefits on par with the five other major national contracts AFTRA negotiated earlier this year," said Denny Delk, chairman of AFTRA's interactive media steering committee. "It's a testament to the vision and bargaining power of AFTRA members that, in a time of global economic crisis,...
- 11/12/2008
- by By Leslie Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actors' work in video games is covered by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The unions' Interactive Media agreements are almost identical, offering the same pay rates ($759 for day performers, $1,920 for three days, and $2,634 for weekly work) and same provisions. Although the contracts are not covered by the unions' joint bargaining agreement known as Phase One, they were bargained cooperatively by SAG and AFTRA with employers such as Electronic Arts, LucasArts, and Rockstar Games in 2005, resulting in a 36 percent increase in basic pay rates over the span of the contracts. It remains to be seen whether SAG and AFTRA will collaborate again before the agreements expire Dec. 31. Both unions will likely seek pay increases and residuals. According to SAG, since 2005 interactive-industry revenues have grown from $9 billion per year to $27 billion per year. Despite their feuding and AFTRA's suspension of Phase One in April,...
- 10/16/2008
- by Lauren Horwitch
- backstage.com
UPDATED 8:09 p.m. PT March 29, 2008
In an abrupt move, AFTRA's national board of directors Saturday overwhelmingly voted to suspend its joint bargaining agreement with SAG and negotiate its primetime TV contract alone with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
SAG's national board was notified of the decision by AFTRA's president Roberta Reardon and national officers Susan Boyd Joyce, Denny Delk, Bob Edwards, Matt Kimbrough and Shelby Scott at what was to be an afternoon joint meeting of both unions' national boards.
In a statement, Reardon said over the last year, AFTRA has worked hard to "maintain the integrity" of the joint bargaining process, "so we could sit across the table from the industry with total and unequivocal unity." She added, "SAG Leadership has made this impossible."
She claims a recent attempt by SAG's Hollywood leaders to "de-certify an AFTRA daytime soap opera," is among the ways the union has "engaged in a relentless campaign of disinformation and disparagement." As a result, she added, it shakes AFTRA's confidence in SAG's "ability to live up to the principles of partnership and union solidarity."
Reardon said AFTRA would now devote its energies to negotiating a new contract for its members as soon as possible, and she added hope that someday both actors unions can rebuild "the historic trust between these two organizations.
In an abrupt move, AFTRA's national board of directors Saturday overwhelmingly voted to suspend its joint bargaining agreement with SAG and negotiate its primetime TV contract alone with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
SAG's national board was notified of the decision by AFTRA's president Roberta Reardon and national officers Susan Boyd Joyce, Denny Delk, Bob Edwards, Matt Kimbrough and Shelby Scott at what was to be an afternoon joint meeting of both unions' national boards.
In a statement, Reardon said over the last year, AFTRA has worked hard to "maintain the integrity" of the joint bargaining process, "so we could sit across the table from the industry with total and unequivocal unity." She added, "SAG Leadership has made this impossible."
She claims a recent attempt by SAG's Hollywood leaders to "de-certify an AFTRA daytime soap opera," is among the ways the union has "engaged in a relentless campaign of disinformation and disparagement." As a result, she added, it shakes AFTRA's confidence in SAG's "ability to live up to the principles of partnership and union solidarity."
Reardon said AFTRA would now devote its energies to negotiating a new contract for its members as soon as possible, and she added hope that someday both actors unions can rebuild "the historic trust between these two organizations.
- 3/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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