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This blog was contributed by Emily Katz, Co-writer for the music blog Kickin' The Peanuts.

12:01 last night marked a victorious moment for the Screen Actors Guild, who have been disgruntled with their contracts for several years now and have been working under expired contracts since June of 2008.  The new two-year agreement will supply more than $105 million in wages, larger pensions, and a template for SAG coverage of new media formats.  It will apply to actors in new media formats, as well as those in film and digital television programs, and those in motion pictures.

35.26% of the 110,000 SAG members returned their ballots, achieving an approval of the contract by a vote of 78% to 22%.  While contracts have been a topic of turmoil for the Screen Actors Guild for some time now, talks of contract renegotiation with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers began on April 15th of 2008.  A tentative agreement was reached on April 16th of 2009 after 12 months of periodic negotiations between Motion Picture studios and television networks. 

The Contract will expire June 30th of 2011.

The ratifying of the contract is bittersweet, as many feel it's passing was long overdue.  Actor and National Board Member representing New York, Mike Hodge, said, "'I am extremely pleased that we have finally come to the close of a long, unproductive period. I am hopeful that we can heal our wounds and really start the work to become a unified, national union.'"  His sentiments were echoed by Actor and 2nd National Vice President Sam Freed: “'This decision by the membership marks the end of a very long process. We can now move forward with a new sense of certainty.'”

Entertainment Lawyer Jonathan Handel blogs about the massive defeat for the "hardline Membership First faction" in his blog Digital Media Law: "It's an amazing end to an almost 12 month stalemate, and calls into question the faction's ability to make any headway in the upcoming SAG board elections."  He further points out how the results of the SAG contract renewal reflects the current political stance in Los Angeles and New York.  "The moderates can only gain, at least in Hollywood.  In NY and the regions, Membership First has little support, so, there again, the moderates should prevail."

To read more about Johnathan Handel's view on the current SAG contract ratification, check out his blog: http://digitalmedialaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/sag-tvtheatrical-contract-ratified.html.