Directors' Guild members approve new contract with studios
DGA president Michael Apted confirms approval of new three-year contract with studios.
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Thursday, 21, Feb 2008 02:00
Hollywood directors have given vocal approval to a new three-year contract with film and television studios, it has been confirmed.
Members of the Directors' Guild of America (DGA) has voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of its agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes new jurisdiction over content distributed on the internet and other digital outlets.
The agreement between the DGA and the AMPTP was crucial in the ending of the three-month writers' strike, with the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) following the DGA's pattern of holding weeks of informal talks with studios before scheduling concluding formal negotiations.
Michael Apted, president of the DGA, said Wednesday's vote reflected "the strong support and enthusiasm our members have for our new contract".
"We set a series of important precedents crucial to our survival in this digital age," he added.
"We entered this round of bargaining steadfast in our belief, born of 70 years of negotiating experience, that what would make it possible for us to achieve our goals was our 18 months of research and preparation, our understanding of the issues our industry faces and our willingness to sit across the table and negotiate until a conclusion was reached."
An AMPTP statement praised the vote, saying it illustrated that "groundbreaking new media labour pacts can be reached without resorting to harmful and unnecessary strikes".
While the DGA agreement comes into effect on July 1st, Hollywood is still fearful of another strike, with the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) refusing to confirm when it will begin its own negotiations with the AMPTP.