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SAG announced tonight that, due to space constraints of the Harmony Gold theater and the guild’s policy of using union venues, tomorrow’s information confab is being limited to the first 450 paid-up members. (The WGA used the very large Shrine and Santa Monica civic auditoriums for their Town Hall meetings — and SAG is a much larger union, 120K vs 12K. I’m told SAG sought bigger venues but no other union venues were available on such short notice.) Meanwhile, I hear some below-the-liners and/or a “faction” of members intend to picket outside in protest. Here is SAG’s website notice:
TOWN HALL MEETING – DECEMBER 8, 2008
Dear Screen Actors Guild Member,
We know many of you plan to attend the informational Town Hall meeting at Harmony Gold Theater tomorrow at 7 pm. While we tried to secure a larger venue, seasonal parties, award consideration screenings, and our policy to use only union facilities, limited our options.
We will admit the first 450 members who have paid up SAG membership cards to the Town Hall. We are currently looking for an appropriate venue so that we can hold another Town Hall for Hollywood SAG members very soon.
We appreciate your interest in your union and will continue to work around the clock to plan an additional Town Hall in the near future.
Thank you.
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Interesting…the only picketers for Monday night’s town hall meeting I had heard about are crew members who have joined a Facebook group that hopes to avert a SAG strike and as early as Friday even they were debating the long-term wisdom of picketing a SAG meeting. I had not heard of actors picketing their own town hall meeting but given the vehemence of some of their online comments it would not surprise me.
Would that that actor vehemence be applied to the AMPTP (the party deserving of it) and not to their fellow actors
And it might be wise for SAG to record the meeting and make the video available on its website or by some other means for its members who cannot attend.
Agreed-not only do they need to record it but they need to have it streaming live on UStream – I don’t know how it would be considered a town hall meeting unless it was.
It’s time to use that “New Media”!
I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I saw this notice. SAG could only hope that as many as 450 people turn out for this meeting. The last Town Hall had barely over 100 people in the audience.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
SAG no strike
Why SAG should not strike and sign their contract NOW. SAG is not any different than the other 4 contracts that have already been fairly negotiated by the PRODUCERS THIS YEAR.
1. WRITERS – if the words weren’t written their wouldn’t be a script for you to ACT in.
2. DIRECTORS – they are the ones that sit back and make you do take after take to make sure you get it right. We also know that the DIRECTOR is the one that gets the performance perfect, just ask one of the young first time actors or actresses who have been nominated for an OSCAR or EMMY first time out.
3. AFTRA – they just have common sense, they were very smart to sign their contract and not wait for SAG.
4. IATSE – We are the ones who make you look like the character you are playing, from hair, make-up, costumes, lightning, etc.
All of these crafts accepted the deals negotiated with the PRODUCERS, sure we all wanted a little bit more, but we wanted to continue to work and let these 3 years go by and see what the new media is really going to do.
To make a long story short, all the crafts deserve the deals they have already negotiated. The amount of money you have already lost ($36,737,000.00) and the amount you are about to loose by striking will never equal the deal that is on the table right now. PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS; YOU HAVE ALREADY WASTED 1/2 YEAR. YOU HAVE ANOTHER CONTRACT TO BE NEGOCIATED IN 2 1/2 YEARS (just around the corner) by that time we will all know how the NEW MEDIA is working. GET SMART AND SIGN THE CONTRACT SO WE ALL CAN GO BACK TO WORK – NO STRIKE, NO STRIKE, NO STRIKE…
Posted by emarks at 7:08 PM 0 comments
Labels: SAG – NO STRIKE
Dear Eddie Marks,
We get it. BTL don’t want actors to strike. But we will if we have to. Accept it.
Dear a working actor,
We get it, you’re a childish actor who selfishly puts his own concerns above those he works beside. We don’t want to have to leave you without support, but we will if WE have to. Accept that.
Yes, yes, actors are no more important than other industry workers, we understand that. That is such an irrelevant point.
People love to paint SAG as selfish, when what they’re really saying is, “give up your right to a fair deal and future income and take the rollbacks so I can work.”
Dear Eddie Marks,
When did IATSE sign the supposedly wonderful fair contract that the Producers negotiated? Or any contract for that matter. I don’t remember being asked to vote on anything. I remember the Producers saying they negotiated a contract with us a couple of weeks ago, but I’ve heard nothing from IATSE touting that contract or even mentioning it at all. Heck, even Tom Short retired without getting us a contract with his AMPTP friends.
Sounds like the AMPTP sh… er, um, people are getting sweaty and desperate. If you’re not gonna aim your anger where it belongs then you should just sit at home and keep your mouths shut.
It’s just a meeting, people. The strike authorization will go out soon enough and you can get your panties in a wad when that happens. And then you can post the same spin and BS that keeps getting dug up here.
Old news. Old, tired AMPTP claims…
To quote an article on the SAG strike threat:
“By even threatening a strike now, SAG’s leadership reinforces the stereotype that all actors are like “30 Rock’s” Jenna and Tracy: Tone-deaf, self-absorbed and completely oblivious to how their actions affect others.”
Why is it that anyone who thinks a SAG strike is a bad idea is accused of being a “AMPTP shill?” I think the strike is BS and I am capable of making my own decisions, and if I choose to think that striking is selfish, I think that’s my prerogative.
I encourage every SAG member to attend, listen, and learn.
One union picketing another union’s INFORMATIONAL meeting couldn’t be more counter-productive and ridiculous. You can almost see the signs:
“CREW AGAINST INFORMATION!”
“I’ll Decide What’s Best For You!”
“Knowledge is …wait..wait..I know this one.”
“Only Our Union Should Have a Say!”
“Thank you sir, may I have another?”
“C’mon SAG, Everybody’s Doing It!”
“Clean AMPTP! Our Affordable, Abundant Resource!”
And if actors picket:
“Mom, I got on the news!”
Rollbacks amount to a warm pile of crap. Nothing more!
Accepting the current offer would be foolish. Only someone who is tone deaf, self absorbed, and completely out of touch with reality would suggest that actors should accept this vile pile of crap.
Doing away with residuals is clearly a rollback!
VOTE NO ON THE PILE OF CRAP ROLLBACK!
VOTE YES FOR THE STRIKE AUTHORIZATION!
Vote YES for common sense.
Essentially all of the information about the the history of, and current impasse in the SAG/AMPTP negotiations, is widely available. The postcard poll clearly showed an overwhelming majority of SAG members want their leadership to reject the AMPTP’s “last best final” offer. The vast majority of actors, I would guess, have made up their minds to vote in favor of the strike authorization. I certainly have.
The town hall meeting is an opportunity for actors who have not made up their minds yet to pose questions and receive answers directly from the leadership. As with prior town halls, that information will be disseminated through sites like DHD, as well at sag.org.
Yes, the hall only holds 450, and yes, SAG’s a lot bigger than the WGA, but in fairness, this is an informational meeting, not a rally. How many actors are still truly undecided about this? The AMPTP has made their intransigence, as well as their desire to gut SAG as a creative guild, as clear as can be. I don’t need another informational meeting to know how I’m voting, but it’s there for those few who do.
Top Ten Reasons Why You Should Vote YES to a Strike Authorization
10. Because a YES vote means that maybe one day you will get your own TV show and make $300,000 per episode and get to party with the Olsen Twins
9. Because you can’t play DVDs in that expensive VHS player you just bought.
8. Because some idiot told you to vote yes and you believed them.
7. You’ll show that evil Les Moonves who’s the boss.
6. Because the 2000 strike led by the same rocket scientists was so effective.
5. It will make Alan Rosenberg feel better now that his wife and meal ticket has left him.
4. You want to march on the picket line with A-listers like Kent McCord, Connie Stevens and Justine Bateman
3. You’re an EXTRA who makes a $1,000 a year and you deserve more damn it!
9. Because what Doug Allen a wants, Doug Allen gets. And don’t you forget that.
10. Because you are an IDIOT
Dear Hollywood,
Here you are, months later, still screaming at each other and it’s the Holiday Season!
No contract, no strike, no ACTION.
If you’re all ACTORS, why don’t you act?
In prior posts, I had hoped that Hollywood would lead the way for ALL American workers who have bee screwed over. It’s now obvious that’s not going to happen.
You might PLAY strong, daring characters in film and on TV, but in real life?
Get a hint from the workers in Chicago:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28111166/
Since you’re actors and need a script, here’s the idea;
ACT BRAVE, put yourselves AT RISK, take CONTROL of the situation
That’s the only way you’re going to get any respect from the people who are your audience.
Otherwise, we are beginning to think that you’re all a lot of hot air.
I now return you to your snivelling, in progress.
A former fan,
l
Tom
“One union picketing another union’s INFORMATIONAL meeting couldn’t be more counter-productive and ridiculous.”
ONE UNION RUNNING A $200,000 CAMPAIGN AGAINST ANOTHER UNION’S CONTRACT IS PRODUCTIVE AND INTELLIGENT?
Zackery – yes, one union interfering with another union’s internal processes is completely counter-productive and ridiculous. If only SAG had believed that when they wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars and several weeks fighting AFTRA’s deal and trying to convince AFTRA members to vote the way SAG’s leadership wanted. I find it more than a little precious that SAG is complaining about other unions potentially picketing their meeting…
Hey Zackery – And I can hear your leader Rosenberg saying “we must stay the course” just like W did to try and save face. Damn right we’ll be there and will you be able to look us in the eyes you smug SOB? I only hope that Richard Masur is allowed to speak his mind as he seems to be one of the rational ones who sees the failure of the current SAG leadership. Vote NO!
Dear SAG members –
Ignore the BTLers decrying your “selfishness.” They did the same to us when we decided what our union members needed and acted accordingly.
Do what you gotta do, whatever that is. You’ll have a ton of writer support regardless.
Just so everyone can get a sense of the duplicity of UFS and its supporters: Richard Masur (THE biggest MF-hater) was THE guy responsible for the motion that was passed 97% to 3% at the October plenary.
Here is what that motion, proposed BY RICHARD MASUR said we should do:
1. That motion stated that SAG would seek a federal mediator.
2. SAG did seek a federal mediator.
3. SAG did mediate with the AMPTP.
4. The mediator told SAG mediation was over, after 2 days of SAG trying to find some solution and offering up many proposals, with the AMPTP offering up nothing in return. Repeat – NOTHING.
5. SAG voted 15 to 2 to send out a strike authorization vote, including the “moderates” on the negotiation committee. It was NOT a party line vote – including Masur, who voted “yes.”
6. Now, SAG is going for a strike authorization, with information attached advocating for a “yes” vote.(what the proposal by Masur SAID SAG should do)
7. “No SAG board member or SAG division would speak publicly against the final decision of the negotiation committee.” (language Masur agreed on)
Guess what : BOTH Richard Masur AND Mike Hodge have violated that pledge.
Guess who posts on Sagwatch.net attacking the SAG leadership? Eileen Henry. Richard Masur’s wife.
Why is it that anyone who thinks a SAG strike is a bad idea is accused of being a “AMPTP shill?”
Because SAG is full of people who don’t have enough talent to make a living as an actor, so they don’t care if they ruin the industry, thinking they’re “taking down the moguls”. They’re also good union thugs who’ll try to shutdown anyone who tries to stop their reign of destruction.
Are you kidding me with these no strike posts? Vote yes on the strike referendum when you get it in the mail. Period. The people that post here and are not in SAG have NOTHING to do with our decision. It’s our future at stake, not theirs. I am a middle class actor. I have made a living from only acting for the last 12 years. I do it with a combination of theatrical, commercial, and voice over jobs. It is residuals and residuals only that make it possible. If you take those away there will be no more of me. None. Zero. Kaput. I’ll have to dig ditches. And guess what? It will be so much easier to track airings online. (Maybe that’s why the other side is fighting so hard) The other unions made their choices for their unions. We have to make our choice now. Speaking of, how did that work out for you writers?