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I’m told that the ousted National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator for SAG will have his contract paid off:
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:34:05 -0800
To: SAG National Board of Directors and Alternate National Directors
Subject: Message from Doug Allen
I have been informed by SAG counsel that the National Board has terminated my employment as National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of Screen Actors Guild. I am disappointed in the board’s decision, which was made by written assent, and I am proud of my record as SAG’s NED and Chief Negotiator.
I wish Screen Actors Guild and its members success and I have been honored to serve them. I have particularly enjoyed leading the wonderful men and women on the SAG staff and serving with SAG’s National President Alan Rosenberg and National Secretary-Treasurer Connie Stevens.
I have made some wonderful friendships with many SAG elected leaders, members and staff and will cherish those friendships forever.
My best wishes to you all,
Doug Allen
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And the bloodbath begins…
This is a dark day for the idea that artists should be paid for the reuse of their work.
this is sickening. the membership should overthrow these people for what they’ve just done.
Fingers crossed that this will get things moving and bring this sad situation to a swift conclusion.
It’s a shame the membership couldn’t unite behind you to support your negotiating tactics, but… “Don’t let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.”
And now it’s time to roll-roll-roll over!
Finally something, let’s see if we can get this train moving.
I like how I don’t even get a say as a SAG member. Why can’t we just vote on the damn AMPTP offer as it stands?
The traitors on the board that performed this coup d’état have done more damage to our union than they realize. These godless f**ks need to be exposed and strung up…or at least have there membership revoked.
Shame on you for selling us all out.
Now it’s time to be real-real-realistic!
Thank god! Dark day for reuse – please. It is time artists understand that work and production is what has value. I know the weekly salaries for creators, actors, producers….. huge reuse fees on top = obscene.
If you really care about workers and crews then step up an work along side them and stop crying about not having so much reuse welfare. When an actor thanks crews profusely in public (like at you SAG awards) it just rolls off like total BS – no sincerity or care at all; it is easy to say while collecting free checks.
………………. Say what you will…… Doug Allen’s strategy was not working.
Doug Allen should not get another dime from SAG. He has been fired for poor job performance. He has ripped us off long enough. He was not able to negotiate a single contract to any success in the time he has been employed by SAG. The next NED hired should not make $500,000 a year (more than the President of the United States makes a year) to work for a union where most of it’s members don’t make enough to qualify for health insurance. In the present economy we should have our pick of good candidates at a salary that reflects they are working for a union not a corporation. SAG Members should fight paying Doug Allen another cent of our dues money.
Now you so-called “moderates” get to see what this coup d’etat will get you:
A “reasonable” negotiating stance that will get a “reasonable” contract (reasonable being defined by the AMPTP — the same as the hated DGA-ankle-grab deal). As New Media becomes All Media over the next year or so, watch your residuals, coverage, benefits and protections disappear.
Future actors will bitterly disparage you weak sisters who caved without a fight, believing the same lies that were told with home video.
Watch and see how the producers renegotiate terms of the New Media deal in three years. Just watch.
I want to offer my thanks to the people who perpetrated this schism in our efforts to achieve a fair deal from the amptp.
Hi Hell..where’s my handbasket…
Man, it’s going to be horrific here when those brainwashed to blame Allen instead of the AMPTP realize that U4S (United For Suckers) won’t get anything from the studios on crucial issues like force majeure and New (Now) Media.
And yet I predict the shitty contract to pass, thus ensuring the destruction of the middle-class actor and a precedent for further union-busting by the AMPTP.
Those of you applauding this move now will likely come to regret it, if you ever decide to start thinking for yourselves.
I do not know Doug Allen, or any of the board members. Somehow I feel that this is a runaway covered wagon about to careen off a cliff…
Don’t expect a contract folks. And don’t expect to get to vote on anything.
Last one out turn off the lights.
All Doug tried to do was negotiate a decent contract that he was asked and tasked to do by SAG Membership.
They’re paying off his contract?!? He has a year left! That’s $500,000 in dues! And now what they’re,re going to go back to the AMPTP and what, get them to let us retain force mejure, nix the french hours but still no new media and come back to us boasting huge gains!?! that’s what we have in the contract we’re working under now. Then if they ever let us vote, we vote it down and then what do they think they’re going to do? I guess they’ll ask for a strike Authorization vote?
“I like how I don’t even get a say as a SAG member.”
You had a say when you voted on the board.
You do understand how representative democracy works, right?
Justin
All the drama makes perfect sense, I mean we are in a drama guild right?
As a member it feels emasculating just watching it all unfold like some crap-ass soap opera I can’t change the channel on, with the board holding the remote and the AMPTP hocking the suds & duds.
These national bozos better move quick now that they’ve started firing people and reorganizing the players.
And so he’s already out the door, and I don’t blame him – as if he’d want to stick around to fight it. This has to be one of the darkest days in Doug Allen’s career. I’m truly surprised he stuck around this long.
Doug, for all the crap you’ve endured, and for all the difficulties in attempting to represent a group of self-serving, back-stabbing, two-faced whiners, I apologize. I, for one, supported you and your efforts, and at least some (most?) of the SAG membership does as well.
Thank you for your professionalism and courage. Better luck on your next challenges.
In solidarity,
Doug never had a chance. He didn’t really understand the history of the business enough to realize that AFTRA was the main problem. He didn’t go after them aggressively enough so they eventually made it impossible for him to get any leverage in negotiations.
He didn’t fail per se… he just didn’t assess the situation carefully enough in his first year to navigate the situation to SAG’s advantage. Hell, SAG had one NED a few years ago that took a good look at how dysfunctional they were and quit in 11 days. Doug did the best he could given an nearly impossible negotiating environment. I wish him well.
Freddy-
“this is sickening. the membership should overthrow these people for what they’ve just done.”
They just did..