IATSE Reaches Tentative Three-Year Agreement with AICPThe IATSE has reached a tentative three-year deal with the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) for a new National Commercial Agreement effective October 1, 2007. Under the agreement, the language to which is being finalized, IATSE members a 9 percent raise over the three-year period (3% each year). There are no changes in the geographical scope or working conditions in the Northeast Corridor and no takebacks in the contract as a whole. The deal also raises the third meal period from 12.50 to $15.00 in the Central and Eastern regions. Low budget “non-traditional” commercials will be individually negotiated with the employee and health, pension and IAP benefits will be made. This provision addresses the issue of ad agencies doing commercials in house and non-union for the internet, cell phones, etc. The IATSE believes it is essential that the Union gets its foot in the door of these emerging markets. Low budget “non-traditional” commercials are those that use substantially different production methods than traditional commercial production. In addition, their production costs for a single day don’t exceed $50,000 and aggregate wages don’t rise beyond an aggregate cost of $750,000. The AICP dropped its proposal to exclude commercials of more than three minutes in length from the Agreement.. More than 700 commercial producers are signed to the present IATSE/AICP Agreement. In 2006, 2,313,000 hours were contributed to the Motion Picture Plan as a result of this agreement. Barring a SAG commercial strike in 2008, there is a good chance that these numbers will continue to grow because of this agreement. Local 600 Executive Director Bruce Doering represented Local 600 in the negotiations. |