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This “No Strike” video featuring actors James Cromwell, Kaley Cuoco and former SAG Foundation president Mitch Ryan was made with an all-volunteer cast and crew. David Pringle and Eric Golden, owners of lighting manufacturer Luminys Systems Corp, organized the effort and served as executive producers:
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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You’re right Henry, we should put the jobs of many people who stand to gain nothing from a SAG strike at risk so that you can make enough money to own your own house.
Hey What A Joke…
The seeming hatred for actors that leaps off out of your post is frightening. Don’t you realize we’re in the position we’re in because of SAG’s leadership, not necessarily it’s membership? Such disdain for people who are just trying to make a living, same as you.
Says volumes about you.
There’s a great divide in the acting community about what to do, if you haven’t noticed. We’re just trying to protect our careers as anyone else would.
“Its my sweat steaming of the hot lamps lighting your precious faces.
On the bright side, after this is all over, I’ll start tipping extra for my waiter to dance to the kitchen to put my order in.”
Sheeeesh. Try yoga, bud.
What did I stand to gain from the writers strike? Or would I gain from a director’s strike? OR ANY strike other than my own union? What a pointless argument you make… um, I’ll call you anonymous because you didn’t sign your name.
ANY time there’s a strike other people are affected. The people who sell food to the craft service people, the people who store the props or rent the trucks. There’s a ripple effect, no doubt. It all comes around… some day in the not-too-distant future some other union will strike and I’ll be sitting there twiddling my thumbs… and what will I gain when it’s over? Nothing.
If I purchased a download of something like this, would Cromwell be paid any residuals?
Not if the AMPTP has its way…
I posted a a nicely worded negative comment on the youtube page with this video and it was removed from the page. In the meanwhile I got an email allegedly from “CEO Eric Golden” which was a thinly veiled threat that I would be sued for defamation if I didn’t remove my post. (I think someone didn’t know that as the page owner you can remove comments yourself, but soon after figured it out. Many if not all negative comments have been removed by the youtube user.)
My post merely echoed what I read above and saw on lumynis website that they operate a factory in China. I did editorialize that they therefore may not be the best barometer of worker’s rights.
If you honestly feel their no-strike fear mongering propaganda is a bad thing post on their youtube page and see how fast it gets pulled.
I guess freedom of speech is a threat to their marketing of fear.
Anyone else get threatened?
I’d like to congratulate Leni Riefenstahl on another finely-directed piece of cinema.
SAG has (at this point) no one to blame but themselves. Infighting(Unite & MF, East/west, board members, et all.) killed any internal solidarity. How can you press the $$$$ and get what you want (probably deserve) when you dont have internal support to actually FOLLOW THROUGH YOUR THREATS!!! and what date is it NOW compared to when this started? You got nothing to blame but yourself and SAG should be held completely accountable for the industry when the rest of the walls cave in. They built a house of cards and have no leverage to follow thru.
The reason the WGA had support was because they negotiated until the 11th hour and then went to their membership for authorization to strike. It seems that the Actors are approaching their contract negotiation like their work. PART TIME. Letting it go this long to ask for a strike authorization is irresponsible. You would have had support if you would have gone this route July 1st last year.
I think this is a great spot. The strike will effect the entire state of California. Not just the industry, but teachers, bank tellers, small retail businesses – it will spiral.
I really hope it works and I’m proud of the people that had the nerve to make this spot and take a friggin’ stand against something that is worse than a bad idea.
SAG is now offering a brand new “Waffle Maker” with each No Vote!
Last Chance Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post
If L.A. members and any NY or regional members want to fight this, NOW IS THE TIME.
“they are going to change the Rules of Procedure to seat a Task Force made up of their people, to circumvent the authority of the NEC and the President.”
To: Members of the National Board of Directors and Alternates
Third Vice President David Hartley-Margolin has requested that the following notice be sent in connection with the National Board plenary meeting scheduled for Monday, January 12 and Tuesday, January 13, 2009, in compliance with the requirement of prior notice under Robert’s Rules of Order.
“I hereby give notice of intent to present a motion at the upcoming National Board meeting to seek to rescind in their entirety (or to amend and substantively change) Guideline II of the National Committee Guidelines (dealing with Task Forces) and any or all of its subsections.”
That’s correct.
I doubt we’ll be able to do anything about it. Unfortunately we just don’t have the votes to protect anything. They are trying to force us to give UFS and New York complete ownership of this contract, and the guild. Then once that’s done, they will follow through on the hopeful wish that the WGA, DGA and AFTRA will fight this battle with us in 3 years.
The WGA’s done nothing for us. They have completely abandoned us. We stepped up to the plate when they needed us. They didn’t even have to ask us to help, we just showed up in the thousands. They have done nothing but sit on their hands.
The truth will finally be known. It’s going to take time and we will have many wounds to lick. But the truth eventually will come out.
The negotiating committee will be dismantled of all Membership First. The New York members will remain. And UFS will take their places.
What they will do is settle for the AFTRA deal. That’s it.
And be congratulated for it by our employers.
And in the meantime, the economy will eventually begin to improve and our industry will thrive – not that it’s doing badly now – it’s doing quite well, as entertainment tends to do in down economic times, and as Jeffrey Katzenberg confirmed to CNBC two days ago.
That’s what is going to happen. And the internet will explode with our work, with no residuals.
And every actor who’s ever done a network show will receive their check for $27 for the move-over and see the end of network re-runs. That’s what’s going to happen.
Why is it only SAG’s fault that things got this this point? The AMPTP could settle this tomorrow at a cost that wouldn’t even come close to what the moguls spent on their holidays last month.
Thank you Mr. Cromwell, well done and appreciated.
Next time I have the chance, I will make you sound REAL good!
Well, here’s a little wake-up call for the “Vote Yes” crowd. I’ll be working on a major network pilot that’s shooting digitally and working on an AFTRA contract. This should concern you “Vote Yes” folks because it means that the networks are following through on their threat to just work around you if you either wouldn’t sign the contract or decided to go on strike.
This should concern you “Vote Yes” folks because it means that the networks will realize at the end of pilot season how much money they saved by working off the cheaper AFTRA contract than the SAG contract. As first steps go, you “Vote Yes” folks have done a marvelous favor to the studios and the networks with your stalling and “solidarity”. Because you’re going to save them money. They’ll start shooting ALL their pilots on digital from now on. Because it’s cheaper. And why pay actors under a SAG contract when they can save money by casting under an AFTRA contract? That means that next year, even if there is a SAG contract in place, they’ll just shoot everything AFTRA. And, soon enough, SAG-covered shows will be entertainment dinosaurs. And so will SAG-covered movies.
Is there a pattern forming here? A cohesive picture, a diagram that you can follow? We’ve all been warning you not to keep this crap up. We’ve all been warning you that it wasn’t just the rest of the town you’d be hurting with your stalling and striking (even though the damage you’d do to anyone outside your union didn’t seem to matter to you). We’ve all been warning you that pulling this delusional stunt with no leverage whatsoever could do irreparable damage to SAG.
This should concern you “Vote Yes” folks because you’re killing your own union. It may already be too late for you to save it.
So, nice going, “Vote Yes” folks. Apparently, you WOULD follow Mr. Rosenberg if he jumped off a cliff.
Hey, What a joke………..
Your residuals are paid straight into pension and health and your individual retirement acct…….. , are you so ignorant of your own contract that this is news to you.
Funny to watch the really loud fool !
“The WGA’s done nothing for us. They have completely abandoned us. We stepped up to the plate when they needed us. They didn’t even have to ask us to help, we just showed up in the thousands. They have done nothing but sit on their hands.”
And what exactly are we supposed to do for YOU? Is there a protest somewhere that we missed? A SAG picket line we can join? It was lovely to see all those actors there that first week (you know, when they weren’t honoring their contracts and continuing to cross our line so that they could work), but it was also an accepted understanding that we were striking so SAG wouldn’t have to.
We negotiated with the AMPTP, we struck, we took a deal that really wasn’t good enough and then it was SAG’s turn to close the internet window by a couple of days and move on. SAG promptly blew it.
Thank you to everyone that made this video.
It was RIGHT ON!
The State, the City and the people in the entertainment
business can not afford another irresponsible strike
PERIOD!!
The IA strikes and asks for SAG’s support… The WGA strikes and asks for SAG’s support… But, SAG strikes and it’s “…screw the actor’s! Who the #%*! do they think they are!”
WGA member
Are you kidding me? How about getting off your fat ass, getting some kind of group together and publicly expressing your support for SAG? That would be a start.
You’re waiting for a rally and a limo?
Jesus Christ – you had as many actors on your lines as freaking writers.
And “SAG blew it?!” You’re lucky you’re writing under a pseudonym you snake. The WGA blew it!! YOU CAVED!! SAG, at least the portion of it that’s not in the thrall of “Ned Vaughn and the Appeasers” (No, not a British Invasion band) is the only union that continues to fight off this contract – with no help from ANYBODY – and direct opposition from it’s own ranks, including “stars” who probably throw out more residual checks than most of us have ever cashed.
As I said on another blog – if they (UFS) pull this off Monday and Tuesday: fire Doug Allen, replace all the Membership First People with their own people, CHANGE THE SAG CONSTITUTION to allow them to do that – which IS what they’re planning to do on Monday – then, run to the AMPTP, sign essentially the AFTRA deal, then fast track merger with AFTRA so there won’t BE any SAG to politicize it’s awards show in three years – when ALL that goes down – and, barring some “unforseen event” like, say, a LARGE SCALE PROTEST OUTSIDE OR INSIDE THE NATIONAL BOARD MEETING – actors will immediately start to see things change.
The network episode? Well, they’ll get that whopping $27 “move over” check. Then, they’ll see their work being done for and shown on the internet, for tiny or NO residuals. They’ll start to FEEL what it’s like to lose that income, to have given away clip consent, product placement – cause they’ll be REQUIRED to do commercial endorsements IN CHARACTER in the TV and film they do, and, be fired if they refuse, and, even though many don’t even know what force majeur IS? They’ll have some event happen and then – THEN – they’ll find out they are no longer protected against loss of salary because Ned Vaughn and the Appeasers GAVE ALL OF IT AWAY.
And when actor sentiment begins to turn, and actors SEE in 2011 that this “utopia” that UFS and NY and the RBD predict, where SAG and AFTRA and the DGA and the WGA will ALL join together to GET BACK what was GIVEN away in 2011? The actors are going to have an exact list of names they can thank for giving their union away – for gutting it and handing it over to a bunch of elitists who want to merge with AFTRA, so they can appoint officers by committee like AFTRA does, NOT by membership vote, like SAG does, so importasnt decisions can be locked in by committee, like AFTRA does, rather than votes rising from the membership UP, like SAG does.
And finally, once the AMPTP has had three years of NOT paying residuals on internet, and substantially beginning to trim their residual liabilities in network by “move over” – once THAT burden is lifted from their bottom line – does ANYBODY really think they have ANY intention of GIVING IT BACK?
OK Yes voters, go back and reread the post by Enough Already.
Now multiply that by most of the up-coming pilot season and by extension the next season. Digital acquisition ( AFTRA jurisdiction) is the hot area of interest all over town. While you all are busy not working and sitting at your computers expressing concerns about how badly you are being treated, DPs across town are testing Red and other technologies to work around SAG. The industry is going to pass you by. Sign a deal and plan for the next contract while you still have some clout.
Everyone needs to stop talking about Alan R and his
absurd strike dream – let’s all get real and focus on work and creating more entertainment jobs – not loosing them!!!!!
Newsflash Matt: they can’t change the SAG constitution. But don’t let facts get in the way of a good argument. The Allen’s certainly don’t.
“Are you kidding me? How about getting off your fat ass, getting some kind of group together and publicly expressing your support for SAG? That would be a start.”
I’m too busy trying to earn back all the money I lost during my own strike.
“Jesus Christ – you had as many actors on your lines as freaking writers.”
Dude, now come on. That is just a flat out lie. My friends and I used to wonder why more struggling SAG members didn’t take advantage of the unfettered access to all those hotshot producers stuck walking in a circle for three hours a day. It was writers on the line, as it should be. It was our strike.
“And “SAG blew it?!” You’re lucky you’re writing under a pseudonym you snake.”
Um, or what? You gonna hit me, tough guy?
Look, when the writer’s strike was over, after a hundred terrible days, we were exhausted, bitter and divided. That’s where your union is NOW. It sucks, but just because you’re right (and make no mistake, I know you are right) that doesn’t mean you can win.
25 years below the line -
That’s really the point isn’t it? “While you still have some clout”.
If we sign this deal, we won’t have the clout next time because the moguls will treat the Internet the same way they’ve been treating DVD and VHS for decades – like Stalin (what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is negotiable).
These corporations build the expectation of a particular profit level from New Media years into the future based on the current deal through projections in their reports to shareholders. The future value of these corporations as reflected in the stock price come to depend on these revenue projections. This is one reason the moguls didn’t budge on DVD.
If we don’t demand by force NOW that New Media residuals structures be equal to Old Media, we will probably NEVER achieve that equality again. It’s much harder to walk the moguls back on this three years from now than it is to take a stand – and make them build the same kinds of revenue projections from New Media as Old into their long-term corporate profitability projections – now.
Three years from now, they will be far more entrenched, and we won’t have anywhere near the clout.
Just as a side note. SONY unveiled their new T.V. that connects directly to your computer at the electronics show in Vegas last week. Who is kidding who? Time to get honest Cromwell and Co..