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SAG members to vote on Basic Cable contract

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Two months after they voted to accept a new deal with film and primetime TV producers, Screen Actors Guild members are voting on another contract. KPCC Brian Watt explains.

The Guild’s staff sent out ratification ballots during the weekend for the Basic Cable Live Action agreement. This contract covers shows such as Monk on USA and The Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. It does not include animation. SAG’s negotiators plan to negotiate a separate agreement on that soon.

Ninety-five percent of SAG’s national board of directors voted two weeks ago to approve the Basic Cable Live Action deal. The board recommended that the Guild’s rank-and-file do the same.

SAG officials say the contract includes wage increases of 3 percent now and another 3.5 percent next June – and provisions for shows streamed or downloaded on the web. SAG members have just over two weeks, until August 26th, to return their ballots.

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