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Resolution
Supporting the Agreement on
Fair Contracts to Cover the Employment of
Spanish Language Performers in All Spanish
Language Programs Produced in the U.S
WHEREAS, the entertainment
industry has recognized the importance of the
U.S.-based Latino community to their long-term
business plans as evidenced by such developments
as GE/NBC’s purchase of the Telemundo Network,
and Televisa and TV Azteca’s recent moves to
produce and broadcast in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the
major Spanish language television networks in
the United States, Univision and Telemundo,
continue to import the majority of their
programming from Latin America; and
WHEREAS,
recently, there has been an increase in the
production of Spanish language programs in the
U.S; and
WHEREAS, Latino
performers in the U.S. are not benefiting from
this increase in production because the main
roles and many of the secondary roles are being
cast with talent brought from Latin America; and
WHEREAS,
performers must work for many different
employers and therefore need the protection and
benefits of a union contract in order to receive
fair wages, decent working conditions health
benefits and a pension; and
WHEREAS, the
major English language networks in the U.S.
produce their programming under union contracts
therefore providing English language performers
with standard union wages, protections and
benefits; and
WHEREAS,
Telemundo engaged Fremantle Latin America to
produced a telenovela in the U.S. and Fremantle
began discussions with the American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) for a
union contract to cover the telenovela and then
broke off negotiations choosing instead to
attempt to produce it using non-union talent and
talent brought in from Latin America; and
WHEREAS, the
facilities and cooperation of a community are
always requested to facilitate productions with
the cooperation of local agencies without
benefits to the local membership.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, LULAC on behalf of the
Hispanic community in the U.S., as viewers of
Spanish language programs, urge Spanish language
networks to do the right thing: (1) produce more
Spanish language programs in the U.S., (2)
employ Spanish language performers from the U.S.
in these productions, and (3) provide quality
jobs with union wages, protections and benefits
from Spanish language performers in the same
manner they are afforded to their English
language counterparts.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED
THAT, LULAC urges Telemundo, Univison,
TV Azteca, Televisa and others to direct their
staff and the staff of the production companies
they partner with to meet with the American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
to negotiate and reach agreement on fair
contracts to cover the employment of Spanish
language performers in all Spanish language
programs produced in the U.S.
Submitted by Armando V. Pomar,
Council #6073.
Adopted this 10th day of July
2004.
Hector M. Flores
LULAC National President |
