I’ve just been given this statement from New York members of the SAG Board:

The New York members of the Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors unanimously disavow the decision of SAG’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to mount a campaign to persuade AFTRA/SAG dual-card holders to vote “no” on the AFTRA Primetime TV Contract.

This unprecedented action should only have been considered by the full National Board of Directors, which is charged with the responsibility of setting policy for the Guild. We are amazed that the National Executive Director and the President chose, instead, to bring this proposal to the much smaller and less representative NEC, over the objections of nearly half of the NEC members present. There was absolutely no reason that a full Board meeting could not have been called.
More importantly, the NY Board opposes this unconscionable attempt to interfere with the internal business of a sister union because it has no strategic value for our negotiations, because it will waste $150,000 of the members’ dues money, because it may result in costly legal battles for the Guild and because it will forever tarnish our image as a union.

We feel strongly that AFTRA members have the right to decide for themselves whether this contract is acceptable, without interference from any outside organization, and we believe it is imperative that SAG leadership focus on our on-going negotiations with the AMPTP and not divert any more time, energy or dues money to attacking a union upon which 45,000 of its own members depend.

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