DGA Members Approve New Agreement With AMPTP

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) announced on Friday (June 23) that the organization's members voted to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As previously reported by The Blast, the DGA's National Board unanimously approved the new agreement with the AMPTP earlier this month.

DGA President Lesli Linka Glatter announced on Friday regarding the vote. Union members approved the three-year agreement by a margin of 87% in favor of the deal. 41% of the DGA's 16,321 eligible members turned out to vote on the new contract. That's 6,728 members who voted on the issue.

Speaking on the news via a press release, President Glatter commented, "I'm proud to report that DGA members have joined together to ratify a new contract that will allow every Director, Assistant Director, Unit Production Manager, Associate Director, and Stage Manager to share in the success of what we create." Glatter continued, "Our new contract secures gains on wages, global streaming residuals, safety, diversity, and creative rights that build for the future and impact every category of member in our Guild. The strength of our new contract is a testament to our Negotiations Committee Chair Jon Avnet, Negotiations Co-chairs Karen Gaviola and Todd Holland, National Executive Director Russell Hollander, and our outstanding professional staff."

The news comes when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) still faces a labor dispute against the AMPTP. The WGA strike is currently in its second month. Additionally, the AMPTP has a deadline of June 30 to reach a new deal with the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA. If a new contract is not signed by that date, SAG-AFTRA could declare another labor strike against the AMPTP.

As noted by The Blast, SAG-AFTRA members have already voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike authorization. That means SAG-AFTRA's National Board could call for a strike as early as July 1 if a new contract is not made by the June 30 deadline.

Per the DGA's announcement, the new agreement with AMPTP includes "significant improvements" for members in all categories, including extensive advances in wages, global streaming residuals, safety, diversity, and creative rights. The agreements also have provisions confirming that generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members, as generative AI has become a significant talking point in the union negotiations with the AMPTP.

While the eligible voting members of the DGA voted mainly to ratify the new agreement, there were some dissenting voices. Filmmaker Lilly Wachowski ("The Matrix," "Speed Racer") announced on her Twitter earlier this month that she would be voting no on the agreement, writing, "So the vote to ratify the 2023-2026 agreement between the DGA and AMPTP ends a week from Friday, and I have decided to vote 'no.' I know I often have a 'rock thrower' POV, and I often have to check and re-check that instinct. Like A LOT!"

https://twitter.com/lilly_wachowski/status/1669385484642971649

"Borat" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" director Larry Charles was also vocal in his disapproval of the new agreement and claimed he'd be voting no. He tweeted earlier in June, "I VOTED 'NO.' I am and have been very lucky. And I am, amazingly, both a writer and a director. And in that privileged position, I voted my conscience on the new DGA contract. Here, below, are my reasons. Thanks."

The DGA's new contract with the AMPTP officially kicks off on July 1. It will run through June 30, 2026.