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First reports reaching me after SAG’s NYC Town Hall meeting tonight are that it consisted of the NY Division led by Sam Freed blasting SAG president Alan Rosenberg and executive director and chief negotiator Doug Allen. There were calls for both Rosenberg and Allen to resign. Alec Baldwin demanded that the current SAG negotiating committee voluntarily step down and allow new people to serve on the panel. And NY Division members sounded off against holding the Strike Authorization Vote and in favor of accepting the AMPTP’s June 30th “last” contract offer as is without further bargaining. ”The sense of the meeting was that ‘the deal doesn’t look so bad’. And ‘the economy is terrible right now’. And ‘this is all SAG’s fault because the leaders didn’t merge with AFTRA’,” one attendee told me. “Because ‘New Media isn’t that important right now” and “in three years when all the unions are united we’ll be able to make up what we’ve lost’ on an assumption that IATSE, AFTRA, the DGA, WGA, and SAG ’can all get together as one’. ”
Said the source about what the majority of the speakers said, “This is such a horrible deal, but everyone else has taken it so we need to take it. And we know the economy will be better in three years.”
The NYC Town Hall was held in an even smaller venue than last week’s LA Town Hall; an estimated 250 to 300 people packed into the Westin Hotel. Again and again, the anti-SAG leadership statements were followed by applause.
I understand that SAG leaders had expected the “vocal and brutal” tone of the meeting. But they couldn’t respond fully to the accusations made against them because they were only given 2-minutes apiece to speak when questioned. Instead, Freed and the other NY Division members had unlimited time to state their case and speak their mind. “Basically anyone could say anything in any manner,” one attendee told me afterwards. “It was honest to the point of disrespectful.” Rosenberg and Allen were called, among other things, “liars”, “deceptors”, “inepts”, “AFTRA bashers”, “Hollywood centrics”, and “insensitive to concerns of NY brethren”. Freed specifically criticized and questioned the integrity and authenticity of Rosenberg and Allen.
When it was over, some members came up to the SAG leaders and apologized for the tone of the meeting. But the result was that the meeting succeeded in delivering a verbal thrashing to Rosenberg and Allen — as expected. “There was a lot of hate in that room, so much hate not seen in a long, long time,” one attendee told me. “There are huge philsophical differences between members across the country and between the NY and Hollywood divisions. This is historic. This is nothing new.”
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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SAG EAST = AFTRA
The New York National Board members voted in favor of sending out a Strike Authorization vote. This contract negotiation is not about the next few months… it’s about the next few years. The economy will go up and down in that time. Why should our contract suffer because this month things are rough in the broader economy?
If these people don’t like SAG, let them form their own union. SAG West would have about 65% of the work and would be viable on their own. Let NY have the crappy contract and be hobby players. We want careers here in Los Angeles, so we’ll fight for something better to give ourselves a shot at a viable future in this business.
I am ashamed of SAG East. A lousy deal is a lousy deal. Who says the economy will be better in three years? If everyone else is drinking cynaide Kool-Aid, does that mean everyone else should drink it too? What a bunch of fooking woosies. Alec Baldwin could give a shit, he’s already made his millions.
This is disgusting. I’m a member of AFTRA – not DGA or WGA or even SAG for that matter – but in what UNIVERSE is the AFTRA deal a “horrible deal”!?!? 3.5%, 3%, and 3.5% increases (my husband got NO raise this year!!!), an increase in health and pension, an increase in major role, JURISDICTION in new media, RESIDUALS for for ad-supported product in new media, a “covered performer” provision to trigger automatic coverage for new media productions no matter the budget, improvements AND pay increases for background actors including rest provisions and increased number of covered background actors), overtime increases, increased hazard pay for dancers, overtime increases, etc., etc., etc. LOOK AT YOUR AFTRA RATIFICATION MATERIALS PEOPLE! We’d be turning CARTWHEELS any year this contract was bargained for actors, I just cannot believe we are actually COMPLAINING about it!!!! Get real, folks. And as for merger? FORGET IT. I’d NEVER vote to merge with SAG. They’d be lucky to merge with MY union, AFTRA.
Finally!!!! Sane voices speak the truth. Our (SAG’s) fight is NOT against AMPTP. It’s against AFTRA who is taking all of our TV work—first cable, then the CW, now moving into network TV. If SAG strikes, we’ll lose every TV show within 6 years! WAKE UP PEOPLE!
We stood hip-to-hip with the WGA and said their fight was our fight, their struggle was our struggle, their negotiations were our negotiations, and their strike was our strike!!!! Well, now, their deal is OUR deal!!! We’ll make it up in two years when WE negotiate first! Next time, WGA and DGA wait on us!
MAKE THE DEAL and stop threatening to hurt so many people–and straighten things out with AFTRA so we stand as one so they don’t undercut us. And Rosenberg and Allen–stop lying about the AMPTP offer points. If you have to lie and exaggerate, then you’re already admitting how wrong you are! MAKE THE DEAL NOW! I want my raIse that was due in July! THAT’S real money! Not the silly 1% DVD increase (pennies) and the internet BS (three companies have already laid off about 1/3 of their employees). It is NOT profitable yet! STOP LYING!
MAKE THE DEAL NOW! NO STRIKE AUTHORIZATION!
Time to split. Go join AFTRA, New York.
You reap what you sow.
Unfortunately the AMPTP will delight in this. It’s too bad the SAG east coasters can’t stomach the economic truth that if they don’t stand up now, their union will go the way of the UAW. It’s a sad day for unions in general.
apparently, one young, internet savvy, fellow was allowed to speak at the end of the meeting and proceeded to explain how all of the
technology to make the internet THE delivery system is wildly close to
being fully operational and that it was his opinion that the AMPTP
is taking us to the cleaners.
there were people with legitimate beefs about how they could lose their homes if we strike, how they might be irreparably damaged if we strike.
i don’t have any problem with actors in New York.
i want nothing but the best for them.
i do have a huge problem with the poisonous NY leadership.
even if we did get 75% of the voting members to authorize a strike,
it would have to be approved BY THE NATIONAL BOARD.
and the national board is controlled by MASUR, NY, the RBD, and U4S. rosenberg and allen wouldn’t be able to implement the strike
without the approval of the board, but masur and the gang don’t want it to come to that. if by some miracle we got the 75%, then they would have to make a decison: implement the strike, which goes against all of their plans, or deny the will of the membership and expose themselves for who they are.
they have cobbled together a national quit of fear.
people in the RBD will do anything to avoid a work stoppage.
it’s hard to put together a living in the regions, so they get scared.
even if some of the folks are big fish in small ponds,
small ponds have a nasty habit of drying up.
NY leadership’s agenda seems to be the diminishment of
Hollywood’s power. In so doing, they diminish all of us.
Some folks say things will be better, economically speaking,
in 3 years. Really? Do they have crystal balls?
Were things better in 1932 than they were in 1929?
No. They were somewhat worse.
President Obama says it’s going to be very hard.
We’ll be paying for the past 8 years for decades to come.
I’m truly sorry if some actors will lose their homes if we strike.
But the truth is, they just might lose them whether we strike or not.
I am so sad about all this. I have been on the Board for 2 years and currently serve on many committees including the negotiating committee. Doug Allan is the most diplomatic, mature leaders I have ever met. Alan Rosenberg has given his heart, soul, and guts into fighting to maintain the union protections for all SAG members.
I know what this proposed AMPTP deal looks like. In New Media it’s equal only to giving up ALL the protections and basic rates you’ve taken for granted with the sole exception of the pension & health contribution. You will NEVER get those protections back. Many, Many SAG members before us sacrificed to get us those gains and now we are on the brink of giving them up—FOR NOTHING.
There is no Quid Pro Quo here. The AMPTP is not offering us anything in exchange. You would give up everything you have had under a SAG contract FOR NOTHING.
And non-union work with SAG’s permission under 15k a minute? (This is a half hour program for $450,000-pretty easy) Do you understand how easy it is to present just about ANY budgeted project as an “under 15k a minute” project when promotion, advertising, studio overhead, etc is NOT included in that total?
You WILL see an incredible amount of non-union work if you do not give the negotiating committee some leverage by giving the strike authorization.
Some say they don’t want a work stoppage because they can’t afford it. I say no actor can afford to give up the union protections and basic rates and residuals. How does it serve us if we work uninterrupted, but our pay is cut to a less than a tenth of broadcast minimums when doing New Media? (I’m talking of course about the State labor minimums that will become your new “top of show”.)
If you think this is a deal you can make a living on, then don’t give us any leverage. Vote no on the strike authorization.
But if you can hear what I’m saying and look just a little bit into your future and into the future of younger actors, PLEASE vote YES for the strike authorization and give us the leverage to at least get union coverage and some kind of residual structure.
If you don’t let the Union fight for you and maintain basic protections and basic compensations for you then why do you belong to a union at all?
Forget about it, Jake, its New York!
And the whole tone of this article once again tries to paint NY sag as 2nd class, less than real “Hollywood” SAG mambers, and that is what is disgusting. Alan and his team have royally screwed the pooch and NY had the balls to call them out for it – good on them! What’s wrong with replacing a failed neg team really?
At what point do people decide that Alan just isn’t a good leader. Regardless of whether he is right or wrong on this contract he has abysmally failed at leadership.
He deepened the rift with AFTRA, he deepened the rift between SAG East & West, his leadership led to a chunk of his board being replaced by a competing slate. Most importantly, he’s had YEARS to make progress on the new contract and has accomplished little to nothing. He’s spent hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars doing everything from fighting other unions to getting people to sign postcards saying they believe in him. And finally he can’t even get his own membership to a (mostly) consensus on whether or not to walk out.
But at the end of the day is this leadership? A leader should have vision. A leader should inspire. A leader should steer a ship through rocky waters. Is it perhaps time to think about another leader for EVERYONE’s sake?
What Really Happened Tonight
Westin Hotel Ballroom packed – many members standing – I counted 300. Could be more, but not less. I kept looking for Security to ascertain the capacity allowed and could not find them. NY President Sam Freed chaired the meeting. Started at 6:10. It was agreed that all speakers would stay to the 2-minute clock.
Prior to the powerpoint presentation by Doug Allen and Alan Rosenberg, Rosenberg said that we were “here to talk a vote for a strike” and then “corrected” himself by saying “that is, a strike authorization vote.” He then recited a short history of strike authorization votes that did nnot turn into a strike, including a recent Canadian actors’ contract. Blames the WGA and DGA for not asking about internet in their negotiations (skipping AFTRA) and says that “only SAG” asked about the internet. Rosenberg warns how the Commercial and Basic Cable contracts will be injeopardy if we do not approve a strike authorization. Slams New York by saying everyone agreed not to speak against the strike authorization in October.
Doug Allen says the SAG handout in the room describes the impact of a “Vote No…uh…Yes Vote” and how the present economic environment puts pressure on both the multi-national conglomerates and the average actor. He goes on about how “our talks were interrupted by AFTRA” and never mentions that AFTRA went first and then stepped aside for weeks to allow SAG to negotiate. For the second time in the evening, Doug Allen says that a SAG strike “would not shut the industry down” – as though that did not vitiate the power of a strike. Attacks “pattern bargaining.” Admits that AFTRA has a better deal than SAG has been able to negotiate so far.
Doug and Alan say that a Yes Vote for a strike authorization is necessary to plac “faith and confidence in your leadership and empower your negotiating team.” They finally get to the end of the powerpoint.
Prior to Q&A, there is a motion from the floor to extend equal speaking time by Board members and Negotiating Committee members in order to balance the 30-40 minutes that Doug and Alan have used to present their case. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously by the members present. All speakers were held to the rules of the motions passed, and allowed 35 members to speak from the floor. The meeting was extended for one hour.
Here are some key moments:
Allen and Rosenberg denied that an offer was made to drop New Media for an increase in DVD residual payments.
Doug Allen said – in case of a strike – a National Board strike rule could be passed that prevented any SAG members from working in any “new” AFTRA productions.
Both of them kept referencing Canadian unions in order to make points about success of strikes.
Alan Rosenberg said something I found curious: “If you vote yes or no on this, I won’t care at the end of the day.”
Several speakers lit into Rosenberg and Allen for dividing SAG/AFTRA unity and their obvious incompetence as negotiators. And if they were so assured by the rightness of their cause – why the extended extra educational efforts? That they had “no faith and no confidence in your leadership.” Why did they work so hard to sever SAG’s relationship with AFTRA? Why should they vote for a strike authorization when you cannot stop work going to AFTRA – as it is now. You call everyone who disagrees with you wrong, misinformed.
Several speakers spoke in support of Alan and Doug. In particular they mentioned that TV was NOT the future, but the internet WAS. No one refuted that. What was mentioned that that revolution is in the future, when these issues can be negotiated with more knowledge.
At one point, Alan Rosenberg lost his temper after a speaker from the floor suggested that both he and Doug Allen had nothing to worry about – that their incomes were safe from any strike. Rosenberg bristled when the speaker explained “your household income.” Rosenberg blew, stormed off of the dais, began to leave the meeting, and then turned and threateningly charged the speaker, screaming: “What do you know about my household income?!!!” He then turned and left the room for a short time before returning.
Speakers on both sides of the issues spoke. None were shouted down. Everyone got their say.
Alec Baldwin pointed out that there were issues worth negotiating, but that the negotiating team had failed, and that SAG needs a new Negotiating Committee. He was followed by John Rothman who agreed with what he said (even though Rothman is on the Negotiating Committee) and said we are now a house divided but in three years we can be united, we’ll merge, and settle New Media. That elicited the one long spontaneous standing ovation of the evening.
One interesting point that was made, after Doug Allen said the “Sunset Clause” was worth nothing and DVDs are proof of it – it was pointed out that there was never a “Sunset Clause” pertaining to DVDs.
Alan Rosenberg said something interesting. While the issue of SAG/AFTRA merger was being discussed Alan Rosenberg said: “Hopefully we’ll be all merged in a couple years.”
Matthew Modine was there, as was Stephen Lang, Alec Baldwin, and Meryl Streep.
One of our favorites, Matt Mulhern, was present. He sat next to Anne Marie Johnson all night, in the front row. Neither spoke. Except Matt did scream out “That’s the smartest thing that’s been said all night!” After a young actor, toward the end, said all young people were now watching everything on their computers and not on television.
Want to know why the producers are going to win this thing? The fighting with AFTRA, the in fighting in SAG, the right hand is not supporting the left. The SAG leadership is so involved with trying to be heros, they aren’t seeing the forest for the trees. SAG is imploding, and for that reason alone, if they go on strike, it will signify the end to the guild. If you guys don’t start supporting each other, and don’t keep your petty arguments out of the press, the AMPTP know they just have to squeeze just a little bit harder, to make you cave. Settle your differences first and then hit them hard! It’s the only way you’re going to get the contract you’re fighting for. Unfortunately, right now I don’t see that as an accomplishable mission.
As an active and employed WGA member, I remain APPALLED by the actions of SAG East. Do they really think AMPTE will bend over in three years?
Sure – just like they did when they promised everyone increased homevideo residuals years ago. Remember that? Still waiting on it, aren’t you?
WAKE UP SAG!
NOW IS THE TIME TO STRIKE!
Riiiggghhhtttt… in three years the WGA will be willing to go on strike again.
Have any of these East coast fire breathing SAG members asked WGA members if writers are up for another strike in three years. Doubt it.
I’m sure there are some writers out there who would go on strike, but I haven’t met one. Nor talking to writers have I picked up feeling that anybody in the WGA is up for another strike.
So in three years, when these East coasters up throwing together picket signs and singing kum-ba-ya on the strike line, we writers will be writing scripts that will be shoot under AFTRA contracts.
For the last time.
If all the unions don’t get together, we are all finished.
Why do you think our government have $700 billion without any scrutiny to Wall St but id raking the Big Three over the rails?
They want to break the UAW. It just came out in the Senate. they want American workers to make what they do in Korea.
A SAG strike will be irrelevant if we do not band together.
And SAG members don’t listen to anyone posting as a WGA member. We already saw how smarts they were and how they caved and fucked us all.
THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKING TO BREAK THE UNION AND IT LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE SUCCEEDING!
I read things like “I am appalled” and “A house divided”. People this is big important shit!!!!! If we need to debate it in public like this so be it. I for one am so happy that this conversation is happening. People are actually letting there feelings, Knowledge, hopes, Fears and questions come out. because of this dialogue we will be more informed and possibly find a creative new way out of this, but only if we are not afraid to be bold and be wrong. ……. Bold enough to admit when we are wrong.(both sides), bold enough to care about the big picture and not just ourselves. Bold enough to not bye into the fear.
Time will tell.
When we say “Fuck them” to either coast or either union (SAG/AFTRA)
We say “Fuck You” to ourselves.
So “Fuck Me” I’m gonna get all the facts and make my own decision.
A question, not a comment. A number of people are criticizing Rosenberg for not being a good negotiator. Can someone elaborate? Are the people who say that (like Baldwin) implying that a better negotiator would have gotten the new media jurisdiction and residuals that Rosenberg has not or are they saying that a good negotiator would have just accepted the deal the AMPTP put out there in the summer?
Do the SAG folks who want a new negotiating committee expect that committee to deliver these points Rosenberg et. al. are holding out for or do they feel that what the AMPTP offered was the best deal SAG will ever get?
To someone TRYING to follow this soap opera it would help to hear some opinions on this. It’s very hard to really get to what the bottom line is in this intra-union dispute? Is it that New York wants to fight HARDER for new media jurisdiction and residuals or wants to GIVE IN to the AMPTP on these issues?
Finally, are the stars opposed to the strike authorization essentially saying, “This is not the way to get abetter deal re: new media jurisdiction and residuals” or are they saying, “Hey, you day players. Just forget it. You’re never going to get a better deal so shut up and let me keep collecting my 8-figure paydays”?
Can Nikki or one of her readers maybe spell some of this out so it makes sense to someone who’s not in SAG?
Et tu, Baldwin?
Mr. Rosenberg – ignore those cowards who are too scared to do what needs to be done. This fight is the right one at the right time. Do not back down.
The funniest line of the night was when it was proposed to wait three years to see how new media turns out and then make a deal with the studios. Because of course, once the business model is written and huge profits are coming in for the studios (without having to pay residuals anymore, why wouldn’t they be) they’re suddenly going to be open to renegotiating.
Hilarious!
Like lemmngs to the cliff, the pro-strike faction goes, with AFTRA waiting below to eat what crumbs are left if a strike happens.