Budgeting

Covid-19 Return to Work Agreement

The “Covid-19 Return to Work Agreement with DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA and Teamsters/Basic Crafts,” which took effect July 19, 2021 and terminates on May 11, 2023, outlines Covid-related requirements (vaccine, quarantine, sick pay, testing, etc.) for the DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, and Teamsters/Basic Crafts.

Addendum update effective 3.31.23:

Vaccines

The definition of "fully vaccinated" has changed. Effective March 15, 2022 for individuals employed in the United States, and April 1, 2022 for individuals who are employed outside the U.S., only individuals who are “up to date” on their vaccines, as that term is defined by the CDC, shall be considered “fully vaccinated” under the Return to Work Agreement.

According to the CDC: "Up to date means a person has received all recommended COVID-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible."

For clarity, under this agreement: If you are eligible for a booster and you have not yet received it, you are not fully vaccinated. An individual who has received a primary series of vaccines as outlined by the CDC need not receive a booster dose until eligible in order to be “up to date.”

Masks

When masks are required, individuals shall wear a KN95, KF94, N95 mask, or when there is a fit issue, a well-fitting surgical mask, and such masks shall be provided by the Employer.

Sick Leave

The 5 days of sick leave per Producer is still in effect and employees may use it until December 31, 2023.

Antigen Tests

The following antigen tests are mutually agreed upon by the parties and may only be used when antigen tests are expressly authorized by the Agreement:

BD Veritor system (Becton Dickinson)
BinaxNOW (Abbott Diagnostics)
CareStart (Access Bio)
Celltrion Diatrust Ag Home Test
CLINITEST Rapid COVID-19 Antigen (Seimens)
Flowflex (ACON Laboratories, Inc)
GenBody COVID-19 Ag Rapid Antigen Test
Indicaid (PHASE Scientific International)
InteliSwab (OraSure Technologies, Inc)
LumiraDx (LumiraDx)
QuickVue (Quidel)
SCoV-2 Ag Detect (InBios)
SDBiosensor
Sienna Clarity (Salofa Oy)
Sofia (Quidel Corp)
Status COVID-19 (Princeton Bio Meditech)

The following summarizes the “COVID-19 RETURN TO WORK AGREEMENT WITH DGA, IATSE, SAG-AFTRA AND TEAMSTERS/BASIC CRAFTS” provisions and payment terms.

The GreenSlate application includes the following day types and payment items, which are accessible in digital timecards.

COVID QUARANTINE 1-5 (DAY TYPE & PAYMENT ITEM)
Article 8 - Payment for Isolation or Self-Quarantine (Other than for an Eligible COVID-19 Event)

To be used when an employee (EE) has been engaged to work and is required to isolate or self-quarantine on days 1-5 of the work week at the request of the Producer and is not otherwise working that day.

All payments based on scale rate for all unions.

IATSE/Teamsters/Basic Crafts (article 8.b.i)

Hourly EE’s: Receive a full day’s pay for minimum call
Weekly/on-call EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate
EE’s whose fringes are based on hours: Receive fringes for the full minimum call
EE’s whose fringes are based on days: Receive a full day of benefits
EE’s working outside the U.S. or Canada: Are free to negotiate terms with the Producer
No vacation, holiday or IA training trust fringes apply (scale rates for 839 dailies that include vacation and holiday still apply)
Days paid for isolation or self-quarantine do not count toward post 60’s residuals days

DGA (article 8.b.ii)

Directors on theatrical motion pictures, pilots, long-form TV and long-form high budget SVOD: Are able to negotiate terms of payment with the Producer
Daily Directors: Receive the daily salary rate for the first 5 consecutive days
All other Directors: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate for the first 5 consecutive days
UPMs/Assistant Directors/Associate Directors under the Basic Agreement

Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/7 of the distant location rate
Daily EE’s: Receive 1/4 of the distant location rate

Associate Directors/Stage Managers under the FLTTA Agreement

Prime Time Dramatic

Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/7 of the distant location rate
Daily EE’s: Receive 1/4 of the distant location rate

Other than Prime Time Dramatic

Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate
Daily EE’s: Receive 8 hours of pay

SAG (article 8.b.iii)

All daily and weekly performers: Receive the weekly minimum of Schedule B for each 7 consecutive day period. May be prorated at 1/5 of the weekly rate when the amount of days is less than 7.
Background actors: Receive the daily minimum for each of the first 5 days of the work week
Payments are subject to P&H
Payments are not included in residual calculations

COVID QUARANTINE 6-7 (DAY TYPE & PAYMENT ITEM)
Article 8 - Payment for Isolation or Self-Quarantine (Other than for an Eligible COVID-19 Event)

To be used when an EE has been engaged to work and is required to isolate or self-quarantine on days 6-7 of the work week at the request of the Producer and is not otherwise working that day.

All payments based on scale rate for all unions.

IATSE/Teamsters/Basic Crafts (article 8.b.i)

Hourly and weekly EE’s: Receive 4 hours of pay
On-call EE’s: Receive 1/12 of the weekly rate
EE’s whose fringes are based on hours: Receive fringes for the full minimum call
EE’s whose fringes are based on days: Receive a full day of benefits
On-call EE’s: Receive 7 hours of benefits on the 6^th day and 8 hours of benefits on the 7^th day

DGA (article 8.b.ii)

Directors on theatrical motion pictures, pilots, long-form TV and long-form high budget SVOD: Are able to negotiate payment terms with the Producer
Daily Directors: Receive the daily salary
All other Directors: Do not receive pay for the 6^th and 7^th consecutive days
UPMs/Assistant Directors/Associate Directors under the Basic Agreement
- Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/7 of the distant location rate
- Daily EE’s: Do not receive pay for the 6^th and 7^th consecutive days

Associate Directors/Stage Managers under the FLTTA Agreement

Prime Time Dramatic

- Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/7 of the distant location rate
- Daily EE’s: Receive 1/4 of the distant location rate

Other than Prime Time Dramatic

- Weekly EE’s: Receive 8 hours of pay
- Daily EE’s: Do not receive pay for the 6^th and 7^th consecutive days

SAG (article 8.b.iii)

All daily and weekly performers: Receive the weekly minimum for each 7 consecutive day period. May be prorated at 1/5 of the weekly rate when the amount of days is less than 7.
Background actors: Do not receive pay for the 6^th and 7^th consecutive days
Payments are subject to P&H
Payments are not included in residual calculations

UNION COVID SICK PAY (DAY TYPE & TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 7 (d) Temporary COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave

Used for paid sick leave due to Covid-19.

$750.00 daily max payment for all unions
EE’s can only receive a max of 5 Covid sick days paid for a single production
Days may be used until December 31, 2023
Covid sick pay is not due on top of regular salary already paid for the day

IATSE/Teamsters/Basic Crafts (article 7.d.i)

Daily EE’s: Receive pay for minimum call
Hourly EE’s with no minimum call: Receive 8 hours of pay
Weekly and on-call EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the weekly or on-call rate
EE’s working outside the U.S. or Canada: Are free to negotiate terms with the Producer
If scale rate is STN: EE’s receive their prorated daily rate
No vacation, holiday or IA training trust fringes apply (scale rates for 839 dailies that include vacation and holiday still apply)
Payments are subject to P&H
Days when payments are received do not count toward post 60’s residuals days

DGA (article 7.d.ii)

Directors: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate
Daily Directors: Receive the daily salary

UPMs/Assistant Directors/Associate Directors under the Basic Agreement

- Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the studio rate
- Daily EE’s: Receive applicable daily rate

Associate Directors/Stage Managers under the FLTTA Agreement

Prime Time Dramatic

Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the studio rate
Daily EE’s: Receive applicable daily rate

Other than Prime Time Dramatic

Weekly EE’s: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate
Daily EE’s: Receive 8 hours of pay
Daily flat EE’s: Receive 12 hours of pay

Payments are subject to P&H

SAG (article 7.d.iii)

Daily performers: Receive the daily rate
3-day performers: Receive 1/3 of the 3-day rate
Weekly performers: Receive 1/5 of the weekly rate
Major role performers: Receive contract rate divided by number of days covered by contracted rate

Series contract performers

Receive episodic rate divided by the number of days scheduled to work on the episode
Covid sick pay days plus any actual work days on the episode should equal the total number of scheduled work days for the episode

Background performers: Receive the daily rate
Voice performers: Receive the session fee
Schedule F performers: Only receive payment if the total pay is lower due to a Covid-19 event
Payments are subject to P&H
Payments are not included in residual calculations

COVID TESTING STIPEND (OTHER EARNINGS ITEM AND TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 2.d.i - Compensation for Time Spent Screening

Used for all unions to pay a stipend to EE’s who must leave their home to have a Covid test administered on a day where no work is done for the Producer.

$250.00 flat payment. Payment is not subject to P&H or residuals.

Stipend does not apply to:

Employees who are otherwise paid for the day (i.e., travel allowance, travel day, etc.)
Directors of theatrical motion pictures
Schedule F performers
Series contract performers

COVID AT HOME TEST STIPEND (OTHER EARNINGS ITEM AND TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 2.d.i - Compensation for Time Spent Screening

Used for all unions to pay a stipend to EE’s who have a Covid test administered at their home on a day where no work is done for the Producer.

$20.00 flat payment. Payment is not subject to P&H or residuals.

Stipend does not apply to:

Employees who are otherwise paid for the day (i.e., travel allowance, travel day, etc.)
Directors of theatrical motion pictures
Schedule F performers
Series contract performers

COVID TRAINING STIPEND (OTHER EARNINGS ITEM AND TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 5.b Compensation for Time Spent Training

Used for all unions to pay a stipend to EE’s who attend Covid-19 health and safety protocol training outside of his or her employment.

$20.00 for each hour employee attends training. Payment is not subject to P&H or residuals.
Up to 1 hour of training is not owed to EE’s who have already been paid for receiving a Covid test outside of the home. Any training above 1 hour would still be owed.

Stipend does not apply to:

Employees who are otherwise paid for the day (i.e., travel allowance, travel day, etc.)
A series performer who takes training within his/her span

SAG BG COVID TEST STIPEND PENSIONABLE (OTHER EARNINGS ITEM AND TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 2.d.i - Compensation for Time Spent Screening

Used to pay a stipend to SAG background actors who must leave their homes to have a Covid test administered on a day where no work is done for the Producer and are ultimately employed to work on the project.

$100.00 flat payment. Payment is subject to SAG P&H.

SAG BG COVID TEST STIPEND NON-PENSIONABLE (OTHER EARNINGS ITEM AND TIMESHEET ITEM)
Article 2.d.i - Compensation for Time Spent Screening

Used to pay a stipend to SAG background actors who must leave their homes to have a Covid test administered on a day where no work is done for the Producer and are ultimately NOT employed to work on the project.

$100.00 flat payment. Payment is not subject to SAG P&H.

If you have any questions, please contact our Labor Relations team at LaborRelations@gslate.com.

This information in this communication is general in nature, and is not intended, nor should it be construed, as legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice rendered by GreenSlate, LLC. The reader should contact his or her attorney, CPA, or tax professional prior to taking any action based upon this information.

Topics: Budgeting 2022 Updates Labor Relations Industry News