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Here’s what I don’t understand: SAG’s new leaders determined the contents of the January 26th written assent. They set the agenda for today’s special videoconference meeting. They had a 59% majority in the palm of its hand today. Yet they still haven’t moved to table the Strike Authorization Vote which is sitting out there waiting to be used. Didn’t the different factions that formed the Strike National Majority – Unite For Strength, the NY Division, and the Regional Branches — campaign about how disastrous that Strike Authorization threat was for SAG members and for the entertainment business in general? Didn’t they claim that it was the reason no one had work and production was stalled? Didn’t they argue that a Strike Authorization Vote was not the way to achieve negotiating leverage with the AMPTP? Didn’t they oppose their persona non grata Doug Allen’s January attempt to table it? They’ve now had four separate opportunities to do away with the Strike Authorization threat. SO WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?
DHD To SAG: Forget Strike Authorization Ballot! Vote On AMPTP Contract Proposal
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Simple, They don’t have a deal yet. This gives them some leverage. They are actually in a better position to use it than the previous negotiators. Remember, they are coming in as the “moderates”. If the AMPTP can’t cut a deal with the “moderates” then the SAG can still call for a SAV with the moderates support. Who would vote against it at that point?
Why “do away” with a provision that they might want to use?
Having an SAV motion ready-to-go – as the AMPTP knows it is -
is money in the bank no matter how you look at it.
Why should the New National Board Majority rescind it?
If the National Board does not like what the task force brings,
they have a ready-made SAV to send out, if they wish.
Just because Membership First seemed to prefer
bargaining with two hands tied behind their back
doesn’t mean the new team has to be equally asshole-ish.
David White is not going to send out the strike authorization vote without consulting with John McGuire. John McGuire isn’t going to recommend sending out a strike authorization ballot until he has had a sufficient crack at negotiating with the AMPTP. As a practical matter, no strike authorization is going to be sought without additional action by the SAG board, because it is ultimately up to the board to listen to McGuire and the Task Force and decide whether, in the board’s judgment, further negotiation progress would be possible with the strike authorization and whether the cost and delay associated with seeking strike authorization, and the risk that it might not pass, were warranted based on the most current facts.
I am confident that the AMPTP doesn’t care that the Oct. 19 board resolution hasn’t formally been set aside. It’s a non-issue at this point, except to a few MF die-hards like board alternate Joe D’Angerio.
Because if UfSUSANRRNYRBD took the strike authorization off the table, it would piss off the thousands of SAG members who still believe in leverage, and there’s an election coming up in the fall.
I could think of 2 reasons why they still have it on the table.
It was only disastrous if MF sent it out, But under their glorious leadership it would pass big time.
or
They are worried that the contract they send to the membership could fail and they need it in case of that.
But then again, it could have just sliped their minds.
If they’re smart, they will use it for leverage in the next AMPTP meeting. And when the AMPTP doesn’t come up with a fair offer the Strike Ballot will go out and we’ll be on strike.
If they’re not smart they’ll roll over and take the deal and negotiate in 3 years. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh,that one always gets me. In three years? But wait, the world is ending in 2012 and we’ll never get a good deal.
Here’s the question I have: on any subject anywhere who gives the advice, let’s talk about it in three years?
I’m not saying it’s necessarily foolish to plan for the future. But when you do it at the expense of the present you’re kind of missing the point.
It should be known that, the majority was actually 52% because two Membership First members pressed the wrong button by mistake on the vote.
Also, among the rules UFS/NY/RBD are stampeding, one was that David White is not, in fact, by contract, the NED of SAG. Not yet. And, apparently, David White CALLED this “special meeting of the national board,” even though he is NOT authorized to do so.
When asked directly if he termed the meeting as such and ordered it, White would not answer. He refused to answer the question.
The constitution of SAG, when abused by the “moderates” and then questioned by those on the receiving end of this coup, was met with a seemingly random series of off the cuff explanations by Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG counsel, and turncoat, seemingly to push through any and all objections as to how this whole overrunning of the former leadership has been done.
The New York Division on the video routinely ranted out of turn and inappropriately, running roughshod over the rules of decorum for such meetings. These people – Richard Masur, Paul Christie in New York, Ned Vaughn, Gabrielle Carteris in L.A. are trying to push this agenda through as quickly as they can, damn the rules and damn the consequences.
The most “moderate” voice in that room Sunday was Alan Rosenberg, who kept cool, continued to remind both rooms – L.A. and N.Y. to “bring down the temperature so we can move forward.” He never raised his voice and he had to remind Richard Masur, at one point, when Masur made a particularly loud and bullying move, that “you are not in the chair Richard.”
In other words, they may have muzzled him, making him unable to speak for the guild he’s the twice elected president of, but Alan reminded Masur that he IS the president of the damn union.
This whole thing is a farce. Hopefully, the appeals court will agree, and quickly. These people have no idea what they are doing – except rushing into a disastrous contract as fast as they can to “move things forward” and destroying the union.
Did it occur to you that maybe the board had more important things to worry about today?
And that it took the entire meeting just to get one agenda item passed?
Nothing’s going to happen with strike authorization at present. It’s a non-issue for the moment.
maybe they noticed that the WGA is already in a lawsuit with the AMPTP…and the roses don’t smell so good anymore to just take “model” deal for the industry that the WGA “forged” for us all to ape like good employees…
maybe they noticed NETFLIX is downloading right to your TV now….and soon it’ll all be a big download…and bye bye residuals…
Love these union reps like Masur…hasn’t worked in a hundred years…wants us to kiss ass
The “hardliners” were going to let me vote on the strike authorization measure.
The “hardliners” were going to let me vote on the proposed AMPTP contract.
The “moderates” will not let me vote on either.
Zackery’s got it. They’ll get to it in three years. It will take that long to make a decision.
I am almost breathless with eagerness to report my
close encounter, my whiff of STAR CONTACT, this morning (Sunday) in the lobby of SAG headquarters:
PETULANT SON OF ARKIN BLASTS
ELDERLY THESPIAN WINO
by Dave Clennon
A gang of us “hardliners” was passing out leaflets to
members of the SAG National Board as they entered the
headquarters building from the rear.
We were not allowed to hand out our literature in the
lobby, but someone spotted the Alan-Arkin offspring,
one of our new “moderate” Board members, sitting inside.
Without thinking, I hastened into the lobby and
approached him with what I thought was reasonable deference. As building security began to move toward us, I extended two of our flyers toward the son of Arkin, and mumbled, “Here’s something you might want to read.”
The Son of Alan raised his head and glared at me.
“I don’t want to read ANYTHING from YOU, David.”
“Why is that, A__m?”
“I DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT ME ON
THE INTERNET!”
“What did I write that upset you?”
“YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WROTE!”
Well, the truth is, I didn’t know. I write far too
much stuff and I often write in a fog of Seroquel and
early senility. When I see it on a website the next
day, I’m often surprised. So I was at a loss.
“Well, what, specifically, A__m?”
The Son of Arkin spoke not, but continued to fix me
with his glaring eyes. He was clearly not going to
help me.
“Could you . . . could you give me an example?”
The glare was unyielding and the security folks were
reaching tentatively for my elbows. I knew I might
never have another close encounter with Son of Al,
so I started blurting.
“You know A__m, when you use your Celebrity to screw
other people, you have to know that someone’s going
to notice. People DO pay attention to what you’re doing.”
The security people began gently steering me toward
the front doors. Over my shoulder I could see that
young Arkin was still giving me the silent glare. I
still had his attention! Time for one last shot.
“When’s the last time YOU worked for scale, ADAM ?!?”
As security released me and followed me to the doors,
I know I looked insufferably smug.
I was strolling the front plaza, when another “moderate” Board member, Ms. Pamela Reed opened a door and shouted, “You know, David, MY car is TWENTY years old!”
What?
Ohmygod, she must be remembering that open letter I wrote, six months ago, to all my ex-friends who were running for Board on the “Unite-for-Strength” slate-of-Shame! I think I had said something about our second car being a ’93 Honda!?! And Pamela had been saving that rejoinder all this time?
Those wacky moderates.
I’ve been wondering what the hell they have been waiting for and why is it taking 7 MONTHS? I know it normally takes you guy’s months to do 5 days worth of work but this isn’t a fucking production. You guys are screwing so many people and ruining so many of their careers as well. Get with the program! Fucking actors!
… because zealots of all kinds are bad. It forces blind single-mindedness to the exclusion of all else.
Anyone who votes for a strike, or harps on why they should strike, fits into this category at this point.
Of course, making things worse are the large number of members with nothing to lose. Those who do not earn any money acting. They have nothing to lose as well. These waiters and busboys will lose money only as fewer people go to their restaurants, but trickle-down rarely works as a deterrent.
Regardless, hopefully these delays will allow more and more members to realize that they should be taking any action they can, at this point, to put this behind us, and let everyone get back to work (for those that still have it).
I support UFS, just because they are not Rosenberg and Allen. Its very simple. UFS are competent. Why wasn’t the SAV in place when the contract expired? Its Very Simple. MFers were Incompetent!
Why WOULD they take it off the table? I think a strike is still possible, but only under the right circumstances.
Everyone knew that if we voted on the SAV while Doug Allen and the MF controlled the negotiating committee that it would fail. Not a chance in hell of getting 75% under those circumstances.
And with the division like it is in SAG, I’m pretty damned sure if UFS called for the SAV it would ALSO fail.
The ONLY POSSIBLE SOLUTION is for Alan Rosenberg, MF, UFS and all the other board members to STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER and TRY TO GET THE BEST CONTRACT. If a majority of BOTH sides could come to agreement I think a SAV COULD pass.
IF we could bridge that gap, THE AMPTP WOULD CRACK!!
But as long as everyone here and the National Board keep fighting over bruised egos and political gain THE ACTORS ARE SCREWED. That’s why the AMPTP isn’t budging folks. And the more we attack each other here, in the press and in other forums, the more we lose power.
Let’s get it together!
Well, Joke, it must be comforting to know that two of the people you support can’t push a button without screwing up.
telecaster,
you’re rewriting history.
MF was couldn’t get an SAV in June due to the facts that people were still reeling from the writer’s strike AND
NY-U4S have been fighting all of MF’s efforts every inch of the way.
david white, U4S’s choice as interim NED, made a statement last
APRIL that a strike was to be avoided at all cost.
google it.
U4S-NY are political opportunists who don’t give a damn about this contract.
it’s merely a stepping stone to their main objective which is
merger.
stop making stupid statements.
What a pathetic story from Dave Clennon.
“Here’s a leaflet”
“I don’t like what you write about me on the internet!”
“Um… would you care to be specific?” (you know – in the “perhaps we could actually have a discussion” line of thinking?)
HARD STARE
FOLLOWED BY EXPULSION OF DANGEROUS CHARACTER DAVE CLENNON, LOOKING TO HAND OUT LEAFLETS.
I tell you one thing – these UFS folks sure don’t like to talk about it, do they?
Talking about it seems to make them real nervous. No debates, no public discussions, no talk. Just “what we want – now.”
My continuing question to Ned Vaughn and the UFS people is “why won’t you talk about it? what are you afraid of? Why won’t you go before the membership and explain yourselves?”
I’m still waiting for an answer to that one. Does anybody else wonder why UFS refuses to be drawn into a discussion, let alone, god forbid, a debate on their positions and intentions regarding the union?
Will someone please explain to me why David Clennon was thrown out of HIS UNION’S headquarters lobby by security, when all he was doing was handing out leaflets and asking for some explanation from a UFS member?
As to Pam Reed yelling after Dave “My car is 20 years old!” I would say – well, maybe so Pam, but you sure as hell aren’t and you should know better.
@ Boycott SAG:
No, my misguided friend, the AMPTP is the one slowing the town to a crawl with its greed.
I feel for both sides.
If what I read is true, regarding the offer the Producers have made, then SAG should not table it.