Actors union ratifies partial TV deal in advance of new talks
Last Updated: Friday, May 2, 2008 | 4:28 PM ET
CBC News
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has announced the ratification of a new contract covering such daytime TV programs as The Oprah Winfrey Show and Entertainment Tonight.
The union, a smaller cousin to the Screen Actors Guild, said the contract was approved by 93 per cent of its membership that voted. The union and the producers of the daytime shows initially reached the deal during talks in March.
Set to run until November 2010, the contract includes a 3.5 per cent pay increase for performers and new provisions outlining content distributed on the internet.
AFTRA was due to start talks Monday with the major Hollywood studios in search of a deal that would cover prime-time TV shows.
It had postponed its negotiations with the major studios to allow SAG colleagues more time to continue their bargaining session, in which they're seeking a new deal for TV and movies.
Then on Friday, word came that SAG and the producers have agreed to extend their talks into next week. That means AFTRA faces a second delay in the start of bargaining over a contract that expires June 30.
In SAG's negotiations earlier this week, the studios rebuffed the union's list of demands and said that a significant gap still remains after two weeks of talks. SAG, in turn, accused the film and TV producers of bargaining in bad faith.
However, the agreement by both sides to continue talking next week may indicate the two sides have moved closer together.
Rivalry erupted
A long-simmering rivalry between the two performers unions erupted into a full-out spat earlier this year when AFTRA accused SAG of trying to poach some of its members. The guild denied the charge.
SAG represents about 120,000 actors in film, television and other media, while the smaller AFTRA represents about 70,000 actors, announcers, singers and journalists.
About 44,000 members belong to both unions. Though they had for decades joined forces at the bargaining table opposite the studios, AFTRA decided to sever the tie in advance of the current contract talks.
With files from the Associated PressShare Tools
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