‘SNL’ Editorial Crew Ratify Deal To Avert Strike; Late-Night Show Will Go On With Inaugural Contract
EXCLUSIVE: Saturday Night Live’s editorial crew has said yes in a big way to its first-ever union contract at the Lorne Michaels-led NBC late-night show.
Five days after the Editors Guild and NBCUniversal reached a tentative deal to advert an April 1 strike, the 20-plus SNL editorial crew unanimously voted last night to ratify the agreement. The post-production team and guild reps met virtually Wednesday for the vote, I hear.
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“The solidarity and bravery of this crew are just so impressive,” Cathy Repola, National Executive Director of the Editors Guild, said of the vote and the team upon ratification of the inaugural deal. “They fought not just to improve their own working lives; they have also set a standard that will benefit all those who follow in their footsteps at this TV comedy institution.”
“It was an honor to work with them on reaching this significant agreement.”
Unveiled on March 17 after about a week of last-ditch and sometimes tense talks during the most recent SNL hiatus, the deal is effective immediately and will see the editorial crew gaining initial pay bounces of 7.5% to 33.5%.
They head back to work for SNL’s April Fool’s Day (no bad jokes please if you can) return with Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson hosting.
The employees, who work on SNL’s pre-taped video shorts, parodies and other non-live segments, linked up last fall with the 9,000-member Editors Guild seeking their first contract. The guild entered talks with NBCUniversal soon after, but the process was a constant stop and start. A strike deadline of April 1 unveiled in early March finally saw the corporate wheels put in motion with substantial talks, and last week’s deal.
Along with pay raises up to 60% over time, the new three-year contact includes healthcare benefits as well as provisions to accommodate the late hours sometimes required to get the pre-recorded segments completed by each weekend’s show.
The Editors Guild is Local 700 of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees.
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