At its national board meeting yesterday, AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) voted to bargain its Primetime TV Agreement jointly with Screen Actors Guild as SAG negotiates its' TV and Basic Agreements.  The SAG Basic Agreement covers, among other things, theatrical motion pictures.  The bargaining will occur under the Phase One agreement along with the non-disparagement deal agreed to by AFTRA and SAG in advance of the successful joint bargaining on the Commercials Agreements. The unions negotiate the TV and theatrical contracts with the AMPTP (Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers).  The AMPTP represents the major studios and other companies that authorize them to do so.

The Phase One agreement requires that the unions get equal numbers on the bargaining committee and that both memberships will vote on the whole deal.  Costs associated with the negotiation are shared equally between the unions.

AFTRA has work to do in arranging its bargaining schedule.  The most important of their contracts is the Network Code, covering all but work on primetime dramatic programming, expires November 15, 2010.  SAG has agreed to start bargaining the TV and Basic Agreements in October 2010 well in advance of the expiration date of June 30, 2011.  By agreeing to jointly bargaining, AFTRA has signed on to that schedule.

One of the bargaining challenges for the performers this round will be getting the contract minimums back in line.  When SAG made its deal in January 2009, the AMPTP refused to apply the increases in the minimums retroactively.  AFTRA's minimum rates are higher because they made their Primetime TV deal before the June 30, 2008 expiration date.

The unions will elicit member views on necessary changes to the agreements through a member meeting process called Wages and Working Conditions Committee meetings.  The committee meetings will occur around the country in any branch or local with primetime TV or feature production.  The meetings will likely start in the Spring in order to allow for the time necessary for the package of proposals to be reviewed and approved by the unions' political process.