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So SAG leaders continue conducting their education campaign about the Strike Authorization Vote despite the ballot delay and upcoming January 12th-13th National Board meeting which could deep-six the idea. The following is the first in what is described to me as a series of responses to members’ questions at recent Town Hall meetings. Its major point is SAG executive Director Doug Allen saying a strike “will not shut down the Industry”. Then what’s the point of a strike?
Know the facts!
Will a SAG TV/Theatrical strike “shut down the Industry?” NO WAY!
If the SAG National Board is authorized to call a strike, we all hope a strike will not be necessary. But, if the National Board decides to call one, it will not “shut down the Industry.” Why not? Because the National Board’s decision would have no effect on work done under the Guild’s other contracts.
In the event of a TV/Theatrical strike, work done under other SAG contracts would continue to be governed by those contracts, not the TV/Theatrical contracts. That means jobs in commercials, basic cable, video games and industrials would continue during a TV/Theatrical strike. Also, jobs would continue on more than 800 independent movie projects by producers not associated with AMPTP companies, and on more than 800 independent new media projects under SAG’s new media agreement.
A strike of our TV/Theatrical contracts would be a serious step we hope to avoid, but even if the working actors on SAG’s National Board were authorized and ultimately voted to call a strike, that decision would affect only work on primetime network shows, pay TV shows (e.g., HBO), and movies made, financed or distributed by AMPTP companies (e.g., Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, NBC Universal, etc.). Not “the entire industry.”
Also, actors on any shows signed to AFTRA before the effective date of such a strike would be required by their personal contract and AFTRA’s CBA to report to work on any AFTRA-covered projects in its jurisdiction (primarily dramatic network primetime and pay TV shows, and movies made for television or DVD.)
Please visit the SAG website at www.sag.org for up to the minute information and email your questions or comments to www.Contract2008@sag.org (this is an email address and not a live web link.)
Sincerely,
Doug Allen
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Yeah, a job loss for a non-actor due to a SAG strike wouldn’t affect every day of the week…just Monday through Friday.
Sorry, this email did nothing to help the cause. Please do not strike. Seriously.
If Doug Allen really thinks this was the salient concern of our membership then he’s precisely as out of touch as we suspected.
What a moron. So a strike would just be a harmless little inconvenience to the industry.
Then what’s the f*@%!ing point?
Is that a joke? That’s the message? That it’s ok to strike because you’ll still be able to feed your family from ‘industrials and video games’? Come on! You’re telling your members to go ahead and strike because it “won’t really hurt anything,” and at the same time you’re telling the AMPTP that your strike will be all encompassing enough to warrant a better contract proposal. Get out of here! I hope the membership sees right through you and throws you out on to the street. You don’t get into the business to make bloody industrials, Doug…
You’ve got to be kidding. Did they really have the audacity to feed that spin to their members?
Oh, well, that’s a relief. I was worried the whole industry would be shut down. Thanks, Doug, for informing us it will only be the vast majority of the industry. How reassuring to know there’s “NO WAY!” I will be prevented from getting work in industrials or video games should we go on strike.
If a strike won’t shut down the industry, then what’s the point? No strike/negotiations certainly have taken a toll on the amount of production in Los Angeles, a weak half hearted strike will only prolong the malaise, and push more work out of town.
WOW. Talk about ‘How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Strike.’
Doug Allen’s been fighting tooth-and-nail for a SAG Strike for the past 12 months, and I can only describe my mind as being completely blown by this new argument.
I am incredulous. I’m reading this correctly?: Vote yes, because a strike isn’t that bad. You won’t suffer. Truuuuust me. Only people with jobs on network & pay television shows or studio features will feel the hurt. Wow. What industry is he directing this argument to? Talk about grasping at straws.
What a ridiculous obfuscation of the situation. Aside from the fact that shutting down all studio projects and network/pay TV would be the vast majority of work, chances are the other areas cited would sympathy-strike anyway. SAG is just whistling through the graveyard of the entertainment industry. What a shameful display.
No matter how you dress a pig, Doug, it’s still a pig.
Ok, that’s that. Now I know Allen is either an idiot or a liar. Politics at SAG must officially be desperate to be making comments like this. Up until now, I was willing to buy his comments as feasible, but this is downright ludicrous.
As a matter of fact, promo and post houses rely heavily upon television and feature production to provide most (if not all) of their revenue. When those wells dry up, you can’t simply switch to smaller markets or “video games” to fill the budget gaps.
A lot of businesses would have to create company wide layoffs, if not cease operations entirely, because their business models DEPEND on those sources. It’s horrifying having to watch these houses nearly collapse due to the WGA strike. The market is still very dry and the defacto strike has seized up 95% of new feature productions until the SAG issues are resolved.
Make no mistake, if SAG strikes a lot of the businesses WILL shut down, people will lose their jobs and there won’t be anywhere near enough smaller ancillary market to sustain the system. This statement is a joke.
“Know the facts!
Will a SAG TV/Theatrical strike “shut down the Industry?” NO WAY!”
Hold it right there! If a strike doesn’t “shut the industry down” what good is it?
Aren’t strikes supposed to “shut ‘em down?”
Otherwise, what’s the point?
“If the SAG National Board is authorized to call a strike, we all hope a strike will not be necessary.”
But but but – we all know that a Strike Authorization equals a Strike, because a Strike is Membership First’s Wet Dream.
And who just exactly is “we all”?
Is that the opposite of “you all”?
Like you Actors over there – “you all” who don’t want a strike -
and then there’s us Hardcore Union Activists Who Haven’t Been Able To Negotiate Bupkis over here – “we all” who are jonesing for a strike.
“But, if the National Board decides to call one, it will not “shut down the Industry.” Why not? Because the National Board’s decision would have no effect on work done under the Guild’s other contracts.
In the event of a TV/Theatrical strike, work done under other SAG contracts would continue to be governed by those contracts, not the TV/Theatrical contracts. That means jobs in commercials, basic cable, video games and industrials would continue during a TV/Theatrical strike. Also, jobs would continue on more than 800 independent movie projects by producers not associated with AMPTP companies, and on more than 800 independent new media projects under SAG’s new media agreement.”
Whoa! 1600 projects can still shoot? “Jobs would continue?”
Are you talking about the 800 film projects that have received Completion Guarantees OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, of which there are maybe a hundred per year?
At budgets below a million dollars, with small casts, no union background performers? Those “film projects”? What do they pay?
And 800 NOW MEDIA projects that aren’t even in SAG’s jurisdiction because there is no contract in effect that covers them? What do they pay?
“A strike of our TV/Theatrical contracts would be a serious step we hope to avoid, but even if the working actors on SAG’s National Board were authorized and ultimately voted to call a strike, that decision would affect only work on primetime network shows, pay TV shows (e.g., HBO), and movies made, financed or distributed by AMPTP companies (e.g., Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, NBC Universal, etc.). Not “the entire industry.”
Also, actors on any shows signed to AFTRA before the effective date of such a strike would be required by their personal contract and AFTRA’s CBA to report to work on any AFTRA-covered projects in its jurisdiction (primarily dramatic network primetime and pay TV shows, and movies made for television or DVD.)”
Oh, you’re saying actors may work on AFTRA shows?
Oh, but but but you didn’t complete the sentence.
Membership First/Doug Allen’s plan is
AS SOON AS THEY GET ACTORS TO STRIKE SAG WORK
THEY INTEND TO PASS A SPECIAL “STRIKE RULE” THAT SAYS SAG ACTORS MAY NOT WORK ON NEW AFTRA PRODUCTIONS.
That’s right, Mr. Sincerity didn’t tell you that – but that is the plan.
Isn’t it, Doug?
“Sincerely,
Doug Allen”
“Sincerely,” Doug? What happened to “In Solidarity?” Not workin’ for ya?
After all, it’s “you all” over there,
and “we all” over here.
And you’ve got a job, right Doug?
_________________
Tom Ligon
If what this prick says was true, then I would be working right now. I don’t think studios would be pushing everything waiting on SAG to pull its head out of it’s ass if this was true.
Also, kinda funny how they want support for their UNION, yet they state there are over “800 independent movie projects”. So what, you want us to support your union but want us to work on independent shows? Isn’t that hipocracy?
JUST SIGN A CONTRACT!!!!!! IT’S BEEN 6 MONTHS!!! ANYONE PUTTING OUT THE EFFORT COULD OF NEGOCIATED A CONTRACT BY NOW!!
Why would the suits care if sag did strike? They have cancelled shows before. Cancel show and change union how hard is that. CBS is the only network that would not want to lose it line up. Most networks would kill for CBS ratings.
Then what’s the point
This “hair-splitting” is getting ridiculous. I’m not sure how a statement like this can help SAG’s strategic position. If you want to strong arm someone, you don’t tell them it’ll only hurt a teeny bit or “not entirely”.
>>a strike would affect only work on primetime network shows, pay TV shows (e.g., HBO), and movies made, financed or distributed by AMPTP companies (e.g., Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, NBC Universal, etc.). Not “the entire industry.<<
Um. And that’s not “shutting down the industry”? LMFAO! Every job that pays well for an actor is going to get shut down for God knows how long. Probably a third of the year if it’s mishandled like the WGA strike was. With morons like Doug Allen in charge, it’s no wonder SAG is fucked and headed the way of the dodo.
What a strange message SAG is trying to send right now:
‘Please vote to authorize a strike so we have the “bullet in the gun” we need to get a better deal, but don’t worry, it’ll be a kinder, gentler strike than the one we all suffered through a few months ago. This one won’t shut down the ENTIRE industry, just SAG…er, just the mainstream movie business and a handful of TV shows.’
Which is to say, SAG seems to be admitting that a) voting “Yes” on the strike authorization is the same as voting to strike, and b) SAG’s members are going to suffer far worse losses during a strike than AMPTP will (especially in TV, since all new shows will switch over to AFTRA anyway), far in excess of what SAG hopes to gain.
All this not over the difference between zero and something, like during the writers’ strike, but over the difference between something all the other guilds have agreed to and…some poorly articulately amount more than that.
I’m looking forward to the moment SAG starts trying “educate” the other guilds as to why they should honor SAG picket lines…
—Will a SAG TV/Theatrical strike “shut down the Industry?” NO WAY!—
If this is true (and I believe it is), what’s the frickin’ point having a strike! Further, if the leadership believes it to be true, why ANNOUNCE it? It only illustrates the futility of a strike. “We’re just going to have a little pointless job action. Don’t mind us.”
That in combination with the SAG statement that a strike authorization does NOT mean a strike, sucks all the clout out of the threat of a walkout that an SA might have had.
Doug Allen has made it his specialty to diminish all the real power SAG has ever had. All that’s left are those demonizing the opposition and shouting statements that start with the phrase, “If everyone would just…”. Very childish.
It no way to lead. DA must go.
Idiots.
“We’re having a strike that won’t hurt anyone?” Am I the only one not getting this??
Are you kidding, that is a big part of the industy that would be out of work. Its apparent that Mr.Doug Allen doesnt really work in the industry. You funny guy!
Yeah, because we all know MOST of this town works on commercials, basic cable, video games and industrials. Doug Allen is a tool and needs to be fired. Go back to the NFL, you hack.
Pretty funny how after Doug Allen did everything possible to screw up AFTRA’s deal with the AMPTP, he’s now using it as evidence that a SAG strike won’t be so bad.
Pathetic…
You know a linebacker always talks a good game. Then there’s playing the game. Doug your an idiot.