The Screen Actors Guild National Board has unanimously ratified the recently negotiated Basic Cable Animation agreement, which will give members on the contract a 20% increase in residuals, their first hike in 16 years. The new pact goes into effect immediately and is retroactive to January 1, 2006. Expiration is set at June 30, 2008.
SAG is calling the bump in residuals a major win for actors performing in animated programs made for basic cable. The increase reflects the typical run pattern where each animated episode is followed by an average of 25 repeats.
The development will affect performers working for Walt Disney Pictures & Television, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, among others.
‘This is a significant and well-deserved victory for the many actors who work under this contract, specifically day performers,’ says Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg. ‘I’m proud of the work done by our negotiating committee and staff who were able to improve this contract for the first time in two decades. This demonstrates that producers and performers can work together to achieve results that benefit both sides and keep our industry moving forward.’
Under the new animation deal, residual rates for actors willincrease from 12% to 17% of the minimum pay rate, which is currently set at $716 for a four-hour recording session. That percentage would then drop to 1.5% beginning with an episode’s 13th rerun. SAG has also negotiated a shift from single-production contracts to an all-inclusive contract for animated basic cable productions, which has the potential to generate more covered work for Guild members.
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