It’s been awhile since I have posted anything here, but I just can’t seem to let the moment go by without another attempt, no matter the risk any of us face when expressing our deepest held beliefs and challenging others necessarily.
I wouldn’t be being honest with myself if I didn’t do this. I tried to bring things up at the last two Council meetings to virtually no avail, so I’m forced to do it this way, a way I used to imagine would promote a healthy debate and strengthen us in the process. We’ll see.
I cannot support the deal the DGA seems to have made with the AMPTP. It seems to betray our brothers and sisters at the WGA and doesn’t benefit us, or at least our category, in the process.
Most importantly is the fact that the proposed 12.5% raise in wages falls shy of covering what has happened with regard to inflation the last three years. The combined rate has been more than 17%. If inflation continues to grow at normal rates, by the time the new contract expires in three years, inflation could far exceed the nominal gains the negotiations are proposing. I have long said that keeping up with inflation shouldn’t be the goal, and we’re not even doing that.
I also think the increased VSOD residuals don’t go far enough either. I’m sure it is unpopular but a 60/40 split with the Director and his team seems much more appropriate, however unrealistic.
Lastly, after reading through the contract I haven’t found specifics on the Sideletter that provides details about VSOD, and new rates, in general. If it is another version of Sideletter 6, by another name, I am probably never going to vote for something like that.
Anyway, I’m not sure there is time enough to debate any of these issues further before the vote to ratify things, but I thought I’d weigh in, and politely suggest doing otherwise.
All the best,
Douglas Smith.
Hi Doug, Long time NO See & Hear! Always good to hear from “the other side” and happy to see that you haven’t lost thatDoug Smith fighting spirit. I myself must plead some ignorance to the current negotiations as I have been pre-occupiedwith work and a hectic personal life. I am not pleased with my apathetic state, but that is none-the-less the reality. Other than your stated thoughts, the limited rumblings I have heard from the field about the negotiations have all been positive.Your points regarding inflation and residuals seem sound to my ear, but I can only figure the negotiating committee felt that it was too much to ask. With best regards from your friend, Seth
Seth Mellman(He/Him/His)
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Thanks Seth, you’re the best, and I appreciate your comment a lot. I added a screenshot to back up my post…but I do realize I might not be the most compromising of characters.
Anyway, unless I’m wrong about the economics, the combined inflation of 17% from 2020 to 2023 could wind up being 23% in 2026, conservatively, and that is a great deal more than what the DGA has negotiated.
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