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Organizing Music Videos

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For many years, AFTRA has offered dancers who work music videos a Union contract to provide them with minimum pay and benefits if they are hired to work in a music video. The problem is, there is no industry-wide standard or agreement from the music labels that these videos are covered work.

That's why AFTRA has teamed up with Dancers' Alliance in the "It's About Time" campaign in an effort to organize and secure a fair contract with the labels to cover dancers in music videos.

In the last Sound Recordings Code negotiations, the labels agreed music videos are covered work and, further, they agreed to sit down with AFTRA members to negotiate the first-ever industry-wide agreement covering dancers - and other performers - who work in this remerging field.

Thanks to Lady Gaga and other artists, videos have made a comeback, due in large part to the masses of fans who follow videos online through services such as YouTube. Just like actors and other performers are witnessing a proliferation of work opportunities because of the Internet, so too are recording artists watching the Internet radically transform from just a way to send emails and pay bills into a whole new entertianment medium for fans.

AFTRA and leaders from the dancers community in Los Angeles have already sat down with industry reps to start hammering out terms for a new contract. Initial discussions indicate there is much work to be done and solidarity among dancers and other performers is going to be a key to success.

Check back often for updates regarding these important negotiations.

To get a good contract, we need to show the labels that dancers are strong and united and care about these issues. Now is the time to get involved!

For more information contact Steve Sidawi ssidawi@aftra.com or 323.634.8118.