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AFTRA FLASH
Your
Voice - in Music, Entertainment and News & Information - Your Union
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April 2004
In this
issue
Please click
on the following links to take you to the news...
CONTRACTS
BENEFITS
LEGISLATION
SOUND RECORDINGS
BROADCAST
UPCOMING EVENTS
MEMORIALS
AFTRA and SAG members overwhelmingly ratified the one-year extension of the
current Television/Motion Picture and AFTRA Exhibit A agreement. The extension
gives actors a 2.5% minimum salary increase; a 0.5% bump to both unions’ health
plans; grants freelance actors and stunt coordinators on primetime dramas and
sitcoms for WB and UPN shows the same upfront minimum wages as their counterparts
on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, and adds coverage of an additional background actor
for each West Coast television show. The extension also grants SAG and AFTRA
the right to negotiate future contracts side-by-side. Both unions have affirmed
that continuing pay and benefit gains, as well as progress on DVD revenue and
other residual structures are top priorities for the fall negotiations. Click
here to learn more.
Effective July 1, 2004, the AFTRA Health Fund will replace the current network
of preferred providers with new networks. In California, Beech Street will
be replaced by Blue Cross of California Prudent Buyer PPO network. All other
states, including the District of Columbia, will be served by Private Healthcare
Systems (PHCS) rather than by Multi Plan or Beech Street. The new PPOs will
offer better discounts from health care providers. Participants should not
expect much interruption, if at all. The Health Plan conducted studies confirming
that the overwhelming majority of hospitals and doctors the AFTRA Plan participants
now use are in the new networks. To make sure that your current doctor is
in the new network, check the Web sites for PHCS and Blue
Cross of California. If your medical provider is not listed, you can
talk with his/her office about joining the new networks. Participants will
be receiving directories of network providers from Blue Cross or PHCS prior
to July 1, 2004.
If you have questions regarding your H&R Fund Benefits, request a copy
of the new Members Guide to AFTRA Health and Retirement Fund Benefits from
your local office. The Members Guide gives a comprehensive overview of the
Health Plan, including eligibility, premiums, medical plan, dental plan and
prescription drug program, as well as the Retirement Plan and important contact
information. To obtain a copy, contact your local office.
Effective July 1, 2004, the AFTRA H&R Fund will pay 60%
of covered charges when you use a non-network hospital or provider. The Fund
currently pays 80%. Coverage levels for in-network providers will not change.
The change in covered charges reflects the increase of U.S. Health care costs
as they continue to rise at double-digit rates. The Fund encourages you to
use in-network providers to save you out-of-pocket costs as well as save the
Fund money. Questions? Call the AFTRA H&R Office at 800-562-4690.
The House Indecency bill, which raised indecency fines for individual performers
from $11,000 to $500,000, overwhelmingly passed on March 11. The Senate bill,
which will be voted on shortly, would also raise maximum fines to $500,000,
but additionally would order the FCC to investigate ways to protect children
from violence on television and put media ownership changes on hold. AFTRA sent
petitions and a letter to the Senate opposing the legislation. To take action, click here to send a letter to the U.S. Senate to reject SB 2056.
On March 28, 2004, NY State began a new chapter of protecting child performers working throughout the entertainment industry in New York State. The law codifies protections for wages and education for thousands of children. Major components include new and simplified PERMIT requirements, TRUST ACCOUNTS to protect children's earnings and EDUCATION requirements to ensure that a child receives required instruction. This law will be administered and enforced by the NY State Department of Labor. Please visit http://www.labor.state.ny.us/child/index.htm for more information. Or call Ray Bradford, National Director, Equal Employment Opportunities, AFTRA, at 212.863.4251 or rbradfor@aftra.com.
President Bush is about to finalize changes in the laws governing overtime
that would reclassify millions of American workers as exempt from overtime
pay eligibility, erode the 40-hour workweek and encourage employers to require
more overtime work without any financial obligation. This would particularly
impact many of AFTRA’s broadcast members. Sign a petition to protect
overtime pay at www.saveovertimepay.org.
T
Record label accounting practices have routinely deprived royalty artists of
the compensation that they are entitled to receive under their royalty contracts.
Go to www.rightsforrecordingartists.com and
send a letter to support proper accounting to recording artists.
OTOM
Help out the “Future of Music” by clicking on the banner below and filling
out the survey. The purpose of the survey is to measure the impact of the Internet
on songwriters and musical performers.
In commemoration of the April 8, 2003 attack on the Palestine Hotel and the
deaths of journalists and others resulting from “friendly fire,” the
Newspaper Guild is launching an on-line petition drive. The petition is designed
to gather the largest body of signatures possible from U.S. media workers on
a message to the Pentagon about this tragedy and their lack of concern for
what happened. To sign on, go to http://cwa-union.org/journopetition/.
F
Celebrating the tenth anniversary of the renowned music industry non-profit Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, Music for Charity Productions (MFC) is staging three intimate, ‘one-of-a-kind,’ concert events April 5, 12, and 19 at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. Musicians scheduled to perform include American Music Club, Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) – Billy Duffy (The Cult) Band, Puddle of Mudd, Concrete Blonde, Paula Cole, Jesse Harris and many more. To learn more about the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and the benefit, go to www.sweetrelief.org.
There is still time to register for the upcoming Global Entertainment and Media Summit April 3 & 4 in New York City. AFTRA is co-sponsoring the event and Ann Chaitovitz, AFTRA’s National Director of Sound Recordings will take part in a panel entitled “Know Your Rights” (or “Show Me Your Money”) that will focus on how to protect the rights of performers and songwriters. For more information on the Summit, go to www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com. To purchase tickets, go to www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=62570.
Tony Award-winning and veteran character actor John Randolph,
passed away on February 24 at the age of 88. Randolph was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, but continued to work on stage mainly in New York. He was awarded a Tony in 1987 for featured actor in the play “Broadcast Bound.” Randolph was a member of the AFTRA LA Local and National Boards, as well as the SAG Board.
Veteran radio programmer, Al Casey passed away February 23 at the age of 60 after a lengthy bout with cancer. Casey signed on as the nation’s first FM Top 40 as PD of WMYQ-Miami in March 1971. Casey served as National PD for Charter Broadcasting, and in 1983 he took over as OM for KOGO & KPRI/San Diego. Most recently, Casey assisted in the production of R&R’s 30 Years of Radio & Records, an audio accompaniment to R&R’s 30th Anniversary special.
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