DGA members ratify new contract

The Directors Guild of America announced that its members have ratified a new three-year contract with the major studios.

The DGA did not disclose ballot results, but said Wednesday morning its members voted by an "overwhelming majority" to ratify the new contract, which covers 15,000 directors and their teams who work in film and television.

The agreement with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers includes a 3% annual wage increase, higher residual payments, and improvements in basic cable pay. It also establishes minimum terms and conditions for high-budget new media productions for video on demand services and creates a formal diversity program at every major television studio.

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“With this vote, the DGA membership has decisively demonstrated its support for the new contract,” DGA President Paris Barclay said in a statement. “This negotiation was about laying the groundwork to protect our future in a meaningful way, and the result is a strong and forward-looking agreement with substantial gains for our members."

Negotiations with the producers alliance began on Nov. 4 and concluded after three weeks.

Talks were led by Negotiations Co-chairs Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme and DGA National Executive Director Jay D. Roth.

The new contract will take effect July 1 and will run through June 30, 2017. The current one expires June 30, the same time as the contract for the performers union SAG-AFTRA, which is expected to begin negotiations this spring.

The Writers Guild of America's contract expires May 1.