DGA Reappoints Cates to Lead Negotiating Team – updated
The DGA’s contract expires the same day as the SAG TV-Theatrical and AFTRA Exhibit A deals. Variety notes it’s the fourth time in a row the DGA has selected Gil Cates to lead its team…then retraces yesterday’s story about SAG matching and raising AFTRA’s one-step-closer moves.
Now…if you want negotiating power…maybe SAG, AFTRA and the DGA get together…
Ed. Note: An earlier version of this post drew a response from Variety’s labor issues writer Dave McNary:
Hello — As someone who checks your site regularly, I’d like to point out that your post tonight referencing Variety’s story about the DGA’s appointment of Gil Cates indicated that no story had been filed previously about the SAG national board’s action on Sunday. “… then plays catch up” is how you put it.
However, I thought you’d want to know that I actually did file a story Sunday night that was posted at 10:27 p.m. about the SAG board. Here’s the link – http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014535.html?categoryID=&cs=1
A good deal of that story was incorporated into the DGA story today.
He’s right.
May I point out that the DGA has no incentive to negotiate with actors, SAG, nor AFTRA, since the DGA is dominated by actor-director-producers, often the last two, frequently all three, that have a vested interest in actors not benefitting from the unique, collaborative relationship and power the DGA has with the AMPTP.
In many ways, the DGA is the AMPTP. That needs to be understood. No, my guess is the DGA, under Gil Cates (who directs the Oscars, nothing more traditional Hollywood power elite than that), will stick to business and let SAG and AFTRA continue to destroy each other. The AMPTP, which just came off a record year in 2009 at the theatrical box-office, needs two things from SAG and AFTRA: stars, and everybody else. Of course, “everybody else” is 95% of both unions, at increasingly cut rates and a new media deal that portends trouble in the upcoming negotiation. If SAG and AFTRA negotiate Phase 1, as it appears they will, and don’t get a structural change in new media, the “95%” will continue to suffer, while the stars thrive, the DGA continues to protect its own vastly smaller circle of VIP’s, and maintains the relationships with studio heads, network executives and their masters at the conglomerates that control them.
I fear SAG and AFTRA are on their own. Either the heads of both organizations stop warring, and the internal battles in SAG cease and desist, to turn to the obvious common foe, the AMPTP, or they continue to suffer.
Leslie, don’t forget the WGA was the only ones who no-fooling *did* strike last time, and they have a healthy contingent inside DGA. And reading the behind-the-scenes peek we got during Wells campaign about what really happened with DGA, it is quite clear that DGA was very much concerned about not being perceived as the weak sister sell-out. . . and WGA individuals in their negotiating committee were pretty much on board, however Verrone tried to spin it later.
I’m not saying everyone can relax about DGA. Vigilance is always necessary. But I don’t think it is entirely fair the way they get portrayed either. Their dual-members could have gutted the WGA strike at the beginning. . . they didn’t –they became bulwarks instead.