SAG-AFTRA Defends Indie Productions Position

SAG-AFTRA has justified its position on letting certain independent productions continue amid the union’s ongoing strike action.

The union’s negotiating committee, before talks began for a new TV, theatrical and streaming contract, opted to allow producers to apply for an Interim Agreement. “Make no mistake, we are striking the AMPTP companies only, not independent productions that abide by the terms of our Interim Agreement. It behooves us to make this strategic move,” the union said.

“The Interim Agreement gives many of our journeyman performers and crews the opportunity to pay their rent and feed their families. This approach maintains our strength, solidarity and upper hand with the AMPTP until they yield to the deal we deserve.vThe Interim Agreement is not a waiver. To be clear, it is a contract that includes all terms and conditions for producers looking to employ our members on their specific independent productions.”

SAG-AFTRA said that all projects granted a waiver have been thoroughly vetted. “Regardless of the size of the budget or the renown of the cast, these projects have been confirmed to be separate from the AMPTP and entirely independent, except for in extraordinary circumstances mandated by legal considerations, such as Tehran.”

The union noted that the indie productions allowed to proceed “prove that the wage increases and other terms, which the AMPTP has so far rejected, are in fact reasonable and appropriate.”

SAG-AFTRA continued: “The Interim Agreement encourages production budgets to be directed to union-covered projects employing union members rather than fueling a pipeline of non-union foreign productions.”

The Interim Agreement is a “vital” element in the union’s negotiations with the AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA said. “If the AMPTP continues to refuse to bargain, our strategy denies them the ability to freely make their own original productions, allowing everyone other than the AMPTP to produce content with our members. We urge independent producers to apply and encourage SAG-AFTRA members to work on the projects that obtain an Interim Agreement, along with all of the other permissible work we support.”

The union added: “We understand the concern that our Interim Agreement may produce content for struck companies to distribute. We are confident that the terms of this agreement, particularly the streaming revenue share, will make distribution of these projects through AMPTP platforms unfeasible, until such time as an industrywide agreement has been reached. Some have suggested that the Interim Agreement might prolong the strike, but we disagree. We believe the leverage created by increasing competitive pressure on the AMPTP and denying them what they want most will force them back to the table and help bring this strike to an end.”