Barbara
**DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA RATIFIES NEW CONTRACT WITH ALLIANCE OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCERS**
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has voted in favor of a new labor contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Out of the 16,321 eligible members, 6,728 (41%) participated in the vote, with 87% of those in favor of the contract. The new agreement includes a significant increase in residuals for SVOD programs, such as those on Netflix, as well as creative rights protections and improved working conditions for assistant directors and unit production managers on AVOD services like Freevee and Roku.
DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter expressed pride in the guild members and emphasized that the new contract was designed to ensure equitable sharing of success: “Our new contract secures gains on wages, global streaming residuals, safety, diversity, and creative rights that build for the future and impact every category of member in our Guild.” Glatter credited the Negotiations Committee and other key individuals for their contributions to the negotiation process.
Leading up to the vote, high-profile members like Lilly Wachowski raised concerns about the contract’s focus on “generative AI” and its potential impact on job security. However, the DGA and AMPTP reached a tentative agreement in early June, which was now officially ratified by the guild. The contract will be effective from July 1st, coinciding with the potential expiration of the Screen Actors Guild’s contract with the AMPTP.
While the Writers Guild of America (WGA) congratulated the DGA on the new contract, they issued a statement expressing suspicions about the AMPTP’s intentions. The WGA believed the AMPTP was using a “divide and conquer” strategy, attempting to pit the different unions against each other, similar to the 2007/2008 strike. The WGA made it clear that the companies would need to negotiate with them on their complete agenda to resolve the strike.
It is important to note that The Verge’s editorial staff is also unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.
Sources:
– Deadline: [Directors Guild Members Ratify Contract With AMPTP](https://deadline.com/2023/06/directors-guild-members-ratify-contract-film-tv-dga-1235423517/)
– IndieWire: [WGA Says New AMPTP Deal Replays 2007 Strike Strategy](https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/wga-writers-strike-wont-repeat-2007-1234869991/)
