SAG-AFTRA begins negotiations over commercials contracts

Negotiation with SAG-AFTRA and the ad industry have begun in New York to discuss a new contract.

According to Deadline, this is the first time both sides are sitting down since last year’s merger of unions SAG and AFTRA. The negotiations with the two sides are over Commercial Contracts.

The three-year agreement expires March 31 and has covered around $1 billion in yearly earnings. A deal was supposed to be done last year but, with the two unions trying to merge, there was an extension given.

SAG-AFTRA and the ad industry have blacked out the media on any information regarding contract talks, reports Variety. A brief statement was issued from SAG-AFTRA.

"Today's talks were cordial and positive, and both groups look forward to productive bargaining under a jointly agreed upon media blackout already in effect," the union and the industry said in a joint statement. "We will have no further comment."

No word on a strike by the union has been mentioned yet. Both SAG and AFTRA went on a six-month strike back in 2000 when talks went sour with the ad industry over how Internet ads would be handled.

With only several weeks left on the contract talks are said to go everyday leading up to the Mach 31 deadline.