SAG’s White Says Membership May Never Vote On Contract; Will New SAG Leaders Just Let AMPTP Unilaterally Impose Its “Last Best & Final” Offer On Guild?

COMMENTS (94)

• Dear Scott, as a 30+ year member of SAG and having lived through strikes before I can tell you exactly what you can do. Stop depending on SAG. The laws of supply and demand rule business and profits, not union mandates. Get out there and meet directors with projects. Meet agents that package projects for that director and convine both of them that they need you. Meet casting directors who need your type and send gifts. Meet writers and buy drinks. I don’t know one good agent or director that books an actor because SAG made a phone call. They book you because one, you can act and two, you are exactly what that need at exactly that time. You have to get out there and cross paths in order to create a demand for your work. Don’t worry about SAG. worry about your life, your career and realize business is business. The actors that work, work to act. It’s that simple. now go meet somebody and be impressive my friend. I promise. It’ll be okay.

  Comment by Mr.Voiceman — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 9:25am PDT  Reply to this post

• *Now* you guys are ready to mobilize and present a united front? Really?

  Comment by buffywrestling — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 9:28am PDT  Reply to this post

• They can’t publicly support the LBF, because it contradicts all their protestations about aligning with the WGA and so on in two years.

  Just curious, but — if the IATSE can negotiate a new deal a year in advance, why can’t SAG do the same?

  Comment by Billy — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 9:55am PDT  Reply to this post

• To see the future of SAG, all you have to do is take a quick pulse of the people that responded to this thread. There is senseless bickering and name calling that does no one any good at all. You guys are doomed, plain and simple. And you have no one to blame but yourself.

  If you and your management felt so slighted by the offer, you should of had the balls to strike, but you did not – so deal with it. Now you are stuck with a shitty contract and situation. If I recall, the former management did not send anything out to vote on either.

  You should listen to Mr. Voiceman. He speaks the truth. Your union has failed you. If you have talent, you will be OK. If not, I am sure that some of you will make great waiters…

  Comment by Blame Yourself... — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 10:05am PDT  Reply to this post

• Has anybody looked into whether or not both sides of SAG leaders are secretly in the pocket of the AMPTP? Because it seems like they’re busting this union on purpose.

  Comment by Assistant — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 10:08am PDT  Reply to this post

• I think that traitors have infiltrated the SAG leadership. The reckless actions of White and UFS are behaving in an irresponsible way. It seems to me, that they want to sabotage a good future for the members of SAG. Mr. White should be replaced and UFS should be investigated.

  Comment by Suspicious actions — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 10:21am PDT  Reply to this post

• We (the membership) need legal representation. Someone who knows how to stop this farce of a Board from stealing our union and handing it over to the opposition on a silver platter.

  I don’t know how to do it – I don’t know what steps to take. But someone does. It’s not about the coming elections (too far away), it’s not about signing any petitions… This is now a legal matter and should be addressed in court by someone who knows what they’re doing. We need an injunction and we need it right now.

  Clancy Brown would know. Hell, Alan Rosenberg would know. They might/can silence you, Alan, but you can still lead. At the very least, you know who to call. We need a leader here – what say you? Can you step down (recuse yourself) from your office and truly organize us – lead your membership against this illegal coup? If you aren’t in office, can’t you then speak? I’m not trying to kick you out – on the contrary, I’m trying to get your hands untied and your mouth un-gagged.

  The membership MUST still have a voice. Where do I stand and shout? At whom do I scream? I’m not talking picketing with signs or putting my name on a petition – I’m talking about making use of my union-given legal rights to vote and have a say in how my union is run. These rights are now being taken away from me.

  This is a travesty. People need to go to jail here.

  And for all of you members who voted in this kangaroo court of U4S-ers, how does it feel to have been blatantly lied to by your Prom King, Queen & Princess (who were sleeping with the enemy, btw)? Shame on you. You should all be screaming the loudest…

  Comment by Ace — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 11:07am PDT  Reply to this post

• P.S. Huge props to George Coe for revealing this ticking time bomb, hidden under David White’s long black coat. Thank you, George!

  This is just one more way our “new and improved” board is keeping membership in the dark about what’s really going on. Until it’s too late.

  Comment by Ace — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 11:15am PDT  Reply to this post

• Justine, Frances, Anne Marie -

  Can any of you board members who have posted here in the past tell us what we as members can do or if you are already in the process of legal action to get the contract sent out to the general membership for a vote or declare this a breach of fiduciary whatever if that is (as someone said above) the only thing we can do.

  Please. We can’t let this happen.

  Where are the stars now, where are you Jason Alexander – like how democratically this is going?

  Comment by SAG Member — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:01pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I know people seem to want to do something so read this post from an earlier contributor. You can’t go straight to court, you have to abide ny union rules, which means a petition. Want White out? Here’s how:

  Although it has been mentioned on other occasions, any SAG member can go to the Guild and pick up petition instructions. In the SAG constitution, I believe Article X, any action made by the national board can be challenged/reverse by the membership. It takes collecting the signatures of 10% of the general membership (at least 10-12 thousand signatures of paid up members). That’s also the process to remove a board member. Or board members can be brought up on charges. Those charges are filed with the Secretary/Treasurer, investigated with the results being presented to a smaller committee which then presents its ruling to the board. I believe it takes a 2/3rd vote of the national board to remove a board member. That’s also in the constitution.

  So stop whing and complaining and take control of your future! Everyone is so complacent and like sheep in a field just bleating out their misery but no one actually wants to do any work to take control. I will happily sign a petition to get morons out of positions they should not be in. Who lives near the Guild and can get this started????

  Comment by New SAG member — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:24pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Unemployment is Los Angeles county is now at 12%. Thank you SAG. Jackasses

  Comment by Boycott SAG — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:25pm PDT  Reply to this post

• scott,

  union advocate is correct. we can petition these mooks for our right to
  vote, for the right to steer our own course.

  but even before petitioning, i encourage you and every SAG member
  out there to BOMBARD 5757 wilshire with e-mails, phone calls
  and letters and postcards and DEMAND that david white and the
  national board send out the LBFO for a vote.

  Comment by harry98 — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:36pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Here’s a radical idea. If the SAG board won’t let you vote on the contract, and they won’t send out a strike authorization vote then why don’t you do something that the board could not have predicted in their wildest dreams.

  STRIKE ANYWAY! Call it now and walk out.

  Make your feelings clear to the board of SAG and the AMPTP and make it stick.

  Comment by DaveM — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:43pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m too disgusted and beaten down by this despicable breach of fiduciary duty to spearhead the lawsuit and lead the charge myself, let alone lacking the financial wearwithal to take any lead role.

  I hope to god somebody in MF or somebody disgusted as I gets the suit going, however. It does cost money even without hiring outside counsel (e.b., “nominal” filing fees, etc., which ain’t so “nominal” for most of us during this defacto lockout) No cliche, but this is the biggest outrage I’ve experienced in my 15 years or as a member of the screen actors guild.

  Whoever is willing to spearhead the charge and serve as head lightning rod, IF this is not alarmism based on some miscommunication, however, I volunteer my skills in legal research, assisting drafting, and whatever else actually uses the skillset I’m still paying for from Boalt Hall, U.C. Berkeley. Let’s just not all work at crosspurposes and designing the same wheel, however. It will admittedly take precious time, but I’m hoping there will emerge an obvious front runner challenge to this fiasco. When I’m sure it’s there, and there’s one brave chief, I’m willing to help the skilled indians and volunteer my skills.

  Fuck this noise. I’ll write Alan today, while if not leading the charge, I suspect will know who would or will be. The scary thing is thought the fat lady has hardly sung, the ticking clock has her approaching the stage, and frankly, that’s a hell of a lot of pressure. This is very scary. As stated, however, I’m just way too beat down to make a run at this myself, especially given my coat of rust that has built up acting rather than practicing law for well over a decade.

  I’m easy to reach. cswolfe@yahoo.com.

  I actually hope White isn’t as big an overpaid idiot as he’s acting, and more logical heads prevail. If membership were to vote up the contract, you know, I’d be furious. But if that’s what the membership supports, I have no choice but to stand behind it no matter how angry I am at the membership at large. But to have these despicable arrogant incompetent conniving scheming buttfucks allow the worst contract in the history of the Screen Actors Guild to be imposed by *default*, thereby circumventing membership’s say in what we accept and what we refuse? There would be no way in hell I would stand for that.

  So I hope there’s been some miscommunication, and the alarmism proves unecessary, and UFS/NY don’t prove to be capable of not only riding the short bus, but falling out the window as it moves. God, I hope so. I hope I and others have overestimated the total incompetence and arrogance of the Ned Vaughn squad of goons who seek to impose their personal will on the membership, in total and absolute disregard of even allowing the membership whom they ostensibly represent to have their say via ballot.

  But if this — something beyond all our worst fears proves to be reality, and the real game plan is to destroy SAG by hands of Cromwell/Vaughn thugs et al., kudos to whoever has the means and emotional wherewithall to lead the charge if this inane and despicable inaction proves true. I’m there for you.

  If the membership VOTES to accept this POS contract, I’ll privately hate you all for as long as I’m in this business. But so be it. I’ll live. But I, as I’m sure many of you, refuse to have a bunch of arrogant pricks chain us to a train track and let the AMPTP run over us. Fuck you, James Cromwell, fuck you, David White, fuck you, Ned Vaughn, and fuck every nasty piece of shit who’s primary professional goal is to destroy SAG after binding the hands of the membership whom you have a fiduciary duty to represent and seeking to impose your AMPTP boot-licking on all of us without having had our formal say. And everybody who voted for ANY UFS member and is not experiencing, at minimum, deep and unabating pangs of regret, fuck all y’all too. This is the screen actorS guild: Not the AMPTP’s hands-tied bitches Ned Vaughn is God and we worship him making the choices for the other 120K members coalition.

  Let the membership vote on OUR contract, and all abide by the results even if I hate them. Regardless of how you feel about the current contract offer, I’m embarrassed as hell to be in the same guild as any cretin comfortable with this coup doing everything in their power to steal our voting rights away from us with this holier-than-though act of betrayal of fidiciary duty to let the membership determine OUR contract while a microscopic number of pricks wants nothing more but to impose their desires on us while binding our hands. Outlandish, unprecedented, and I hope unacceptable to even UFS rank & file.

  Until the MEMBERS of the screen actors guild formally express their feelings about the current POS offer, it ain’t over, though even I admit that I’ll be living in horror as each of the remaining of the 60 days passes.

  best,

  C. Sterling Wolfe, Esq. State Bar #158774 (inactive by choice since I left practice to make a living acting which is an f load more enjoyable even on the worst day, as to me the worst day of acting is better than the all but the very best days practicing law).

  Comment by Sterling Wolfe — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 12:50pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I have no connection to showbiz so I’m not aware of the ins-and-outs of who represents who or whom, but here’s what should scare folks most.

  If the contract can be legally imposed, not only do you get screwed this go-around, but its 3-year imposition puts you last in line for re-negotiation the next go-around.

  You could really get screwed for close to a decade if folks don’t start getting involved and asking hard questions.

  Comment by ihate2fly — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:13pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Article X, section 2 of SAG COnstitution & By-Laws:

  The membership may obtain a referendum vote challenging any action of the Board of
  Directors which is national in scope, provided that the demand for a referendum vote is accompanied by a
  written signed petition, on an approved Guild form, bearing the signature of ten percent (10%) of the
  membership in good standing.

  (A.) Those members seeking a referendum vote must advise the Guild in advance of their
  intentions to seek a referendum vote.

  (B.) When so advised, the Guild shall calculate the number of signatures required to support a
  petition signed by ten percent (10%) of the members in good standing, and shall
  thereinafter supply petitioning parties with an approved Guild petition form, on which the
  Guild has affixed its calculation as to the number of signatures which must be obtained.

  (C.) All petitions solicited by the membership for purposes of obtaining such a referendum vote
  shall be valid for only six (6) months following the date on which the Guild issued its
  approved petition form to the petitioning parties.

  (D.) The Board of Directors shall upon submission of a properly validated petition, order a
  referendum vote by mail of the membership.

  (E.) Any action of the Board of Directors may be nullified or amended by such referendum by
  a majority vote of those members voting thereon.

  This part of the Constitution explains how membership can assert itself as the ultimate authority over virtually any action of the Guild.
  Power is and always has been in the hands of the Membership. This section of the Constitution says so. It may take more than 60 days but once momentum builds, change is inevitable.

  Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:19pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Look – I’ve been as pro-MF as ANYONE – here – on Sagactor, and, in the snake-pit – Sagwatch – EVERY SINGLE DAY. For nearly a year now.

  But you’re getting more partisan bullshit here from the MF honchos under pseudonyms.

  “It’s all their fault – ‘the moderates’ – we won’t cop to our own strategic fuck-ups – not sending out the SAV, or contract, when we had the chance, and now? Our ‘plan’ is to vote out the ‘moderates’ in 7 MONTHS – so we can regain a SLIGHT majority, (which, lets face it, the way things have gone for MF? Is a long shot. They’ll probably LOSE seats in September) fire David White, pay him 400k as a kiss-off, and go right back to governing from the extreme.”

  That’s a recipe for disaster. Yet again.

  I support most of MF’s positions, but they have failed utterly to carry out an agenda. They had time – years – they had a majority, if not exactly a mandate, and they blew it.

  The “moderates” are doing what they do – avoiding strike at all costs. “No strikes, no matter what.” This leads to a weakened SAG, which plays right into their hands, merger with AFTRA, a top-down, hopefully (it’s what UFS/NY/RBD/USAN want) qualified voting union, instead of a bottom-up, membership-driven union (which SAG is supposed to be, but has been stopped from being by BOTH MF and “the moderates.”)

  If these “leaders” – on both sides – actually cared about the union, and not themselves and their own political futures within union politics, and, in some cases, perhaps, beyond?

  They’d acknowledge their failures – on both sides – and step aside.

  Rhetorically speaking – if there were a person I’D support for president of SAG, he or she would say this:

  1. Merger is dead. Period. There have, in fact, been 16 attempts, to merge in the history of the guild. A few of them made it through the process to an actual vote, and ALL that did, were voted down by the membership. Merger is dead. You believe that’s fair? You believe, since the 1930′s, the membership has pretty much made their feelings, despite the closeness of the last vote, known about merger, and want it cast aside for good? Vote for me.

  2. I do have my own feelings about the union. I believe all actors SHOULD be under one roof – SAG. If I were president, I would immediately send out a poll asking which union actors wished to be solely represented by. 50 plus 1 “SAG?” It’s SAG. 50 plus 1 “AFTRA?” It’s AFTRA.

  3. I would reject this contract and send out an SAV. I would rally the membership to vote it up. I would also lower the threshold to 60%. We impeach presidents in this country with 66 and change % of the congress’ vote. 75% is ridiculous, and it needs to go.

  60% gets you an SAV.

  4. If the AMPTP won’t give us a fair deal in new media, which means a percentage of distributors gross from dollar one and full jurisdiction? We strike. If they won’t back off clip comsent, product placement and force majeure, as well as pay us what they owe us from the WGA strike, we strike.

  5. There will be live streaming of all division and national board meetings. You want to watch it – either attend, or watch at SAG.org. You want to see all of it or some of it afterwards, go to SAG.org and go to the archive of the meeting you want to see, go to the timecode spot to see what you want to see. Stop waiting to find out from a snitch what happened because of “confidentiality” (which no one observes – they text what’s happening FROM meetings – on BOTH sides) or what was said about all but the MOST sensitive subjects, from some blog site. Find out because you have total transparency and you can watch and listen and form your own opinions and respond to electronic polls to tell the government how YOU feel and what YOU want and then YOU get to VOTE.

  6. There will be electronic voting. Votes will be MORE frequent, ALL votes will be accompanied by both pro and con statements, short, concise, but with links to other info, should you require more to make up your mind. SAG members will be prepped via email that a vote is coming and be given time (2 weeks?) to decide how they wish to vote. SAG will vote over a weekend. Monday the vote is announced, and the membership’s wishes are carried out immediately.

  7. There will be electronic polling on a regular basis, so membership can express their feelings to the people who represent them. No more “guessing” where membership sentiment lies. We KNOW where membership sentiment lies.

  8. Hollywood is, and will remain, the home of the Screen Actors Guild. The president, should he or she be from New York, or a region, will be allowed flexibility to travel back and forth. Say – a week in L.A. – a week in NY. It’s 2009 – we don’t need the president of the Guild to live down the block from headquarters. We just need to know he or she is on the job.

  9. The President will be PAID for his or her time and trouble. It will no longer simply be an “honor” to serve, while watching whatever career you had die. You will be PAID. 50k for President, 30k for VP, 20K for board members, 10K for alternates. Do the math. No one will be getting rich, but people will receive SOMETHING in return for their service besides the contempt of their political adversaries and the loss of their career as actors.

  10. Most important. As our current national president has figured out – there is a way to govern from the left (him) or the right, without “tri-angulating” yourself into a pretzel. You say what you believe, as I just have, and if you can, you DO what you believe. But THE MEMBERSHIP drives the union, just as , under Obama, the AMERICAN people will either save us, or not.

  THE MEMBERSHIP will be consulted, polled, and asked for their vote, without ANY attempt to deny them their say – ever, and, if my rhetorical friend doesn’t keep these promises, vote his or her ass out.

  How about a revolution that results in the current power structure of SAG being thrown out by the membership – NOW – since it IS the MEMBERSHIP’S union, last time I checked – then we have an election, we don’t WAIT 7 months till September, and the membership gets to write in who they want for president and vice president, and they give the president the power to radically change the way things are going, but ONLY with their AGREEMENT with those changes, via frequent polling and voting (50 plus 1 either way)?

  Sound crazy? Sure. Any crazier than the complete and utter disaster the current factions have the union stuck in?

  You decide.

  Comment by Matt Mulhern — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:25pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Article XIII, Section 4 of the SAG Constitution & By-Laws

  Removal of Officers and Directors.

  (A.) Any officer or member of the Board of Directors elected by a Division or Branch, or by the General Membership, may be removed from office upon a finding by the Board of Directors that such officer or Board member was guilty of serious misconduct.

  (B.) Any member of the Guild in good standing may file charges of serious misconduct against any elected officer or member of the Board of Directors with the Secretary Treasurer or National Executive Director, or with any assistant of the National Executive Director designated by the National Executive Director for such purpose, or with any Branch Executive Director. Such charges may also be filed either by a committee or committees constituted for such purpose in accordance with Article VI, Section 7(A) or by the National Executive Director or his or her assistants. The Board of Directors may also provide, from time to time, procedure for preliminary investigation of such charges and their dismissal in the absence of probable cause for proceeding. Upon the filing of charges against any officer or director (unless the same be dismissed pursuant to the foregoing sentence), a copy thereof shall be mailed to the office or director so charged, together with at least two (2) weeks’ notice of the date fixed for the hearing. The Board of Directors shall hear the charges or may delegate the hearing to a Trial Committee. The officer or director so charged shall be notified in writing as to the decision. A decision by the Trial Committee to remove an officer or director shall only be a recommendation to the appeals body established by the Board of Directors. Adoption by the appeals body of the recommendation to remove will be automatically reviewed by the Board of Directors. A two-thirds (2/3) majority of those Board officers or directors present and voting will be required to uphold the Trial Committee’s decision to remove.

  (C.) Cause shown means substantial evidence of serious misconduct.

  (D.) Serious misconduct includes, without limitation, disclosure, directly or indirectly, to any public communication medium such as print, television, radio or any other communications device, information about any matter considered by the Board or any committee of the Board under the rule of confidentiality. The foregoing applies to oral deliberations and resolutions, as well as documents presented for consideration by the Board or committee.

  Here’s how the Board could discipline itself if it had the inclination. It doesn’t. Go with Article XIII, Section 2.

  Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:41pm PDT  Reply to this post

• 4 to 6 National Board seats shifts the balance of power back to Membership First and the best interests of membership. Good Luck.

  Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:44pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Having given this constant thought, because I cannot wrap my mind around it …

  does anyone else think that maybe we are not being gullible here in believing what we’re reading (which has nothing to do with Nikki’s reporting, of course).

  Alright. Agreed. Ned Vaughn is not only short bus material, but he needs to be restrained on the bus so as not to hurt himself and/or others.

  Oxford, however, is not on the route of the short bus, which itself is a bit shy of Rhodes scholar riders.

  Is anyone taking without a grain of salt that David White’s “plan” is to FORCE a contract he thinks “sucked” on membership without a vote by doing nothing and allowing the clock to run out on the LBF offer? If so, no doubt that he wins the worst NED in SAG’s history by a country mile. But are we not to be a bit skeptical that what an NED does with a contract that he has publically stated “sucks” is to GUARANTEE it’s passage by chaining the hands of the membership to the train tracks and forcing us all to get run over by a train chock full of “suckage” which would be absolutely what is guaranteed if these reports are true?

  Things that make ya go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. To ramrod a contract that you think “sucks” down your memberships gullets while denying them the vote is the virtual definition of “breach of fiduciary responsibility.”
  IF this is true, outrage ain’t the word. But either Rhodes scholarships are now being handed out by staying within the lines with your crayons at least 5% of the time, or something is seriously fishy with the alleged state of affairs as well as the allegations of white’s intent (unless of course, White’s next job after destroying SAG magically appears to be arranged at a exorbitant off-the-charts compensation package existing of a parade of Brinks trucks).

  Comment by Sterling Wolfe — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 1:58pm PDT  Reply to this post

• SAG is so out of touch with reality it’s not even funny.
  Just last week in austin, tx SAG Members were down in austin begging TEXAS to get incentives passed in TEXAS so more nonunion productions could get paid cash to come to TEXAS and create work for nonunion actors.

  One guy named marco something was up there performing and showing exactly why he is never hired for anything (man that was just painful)
  and then everyone is screaming for more money for producers to shoot in texas… and SAG was there cheering them on!!!
  that’s right, SAG was begging a “right to work” state to finance nonunion work in a state that hates unions.
  unbelievable.

  Comment by Simply Numb — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 2:09pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I feel sorry for you actors, I really do. But you get what you’re willing to fight for, and unlike the WGA, you’re not willing to fight. As a result, you’ll be facing $100 a day jobs with no residuals or p/w. I may be in the WGA and DGA, but if SAG agrees to a lousy deal, I’ll take full advantage of it. I’ll be shooting “webisodes” galore and you’ll be waiting tables between shoot days. It sucks to write that, but it’s the truth. Your former p/w money will go to good use in other parts of the budget.

  When this happens, don’t cry that it’s unfair. It was unfair I had to strike for months without pay, marching round and round a lousy Burbank intersection while you guys rolled into work. If you’re unwilling to stand up for your needs, why should I do it for you?

  The WGA might not have won much, but it won something – and I fought for it, suffered for it, lost money, lost projects and professional opportunities. We shut down streets with our marches. We unified. What have you done? Where are your mass rallies? Where are even your B celebrities to attract packed press conferences? The WHOLE WORLD PAYS MONEY!!!! to see and hear you talk, but when it comes to talking for yourself, you remain silent.

  When Prop 8 blows up in peoples faces, gays and straights march down Hollywood streets. Yet, when your lively hood is slipping away, you stay home.

  When you’re given the greatest grass roots organizing system invented by man- the internet – you use it to bitch at each other on DHD.

  “Oh, the humanity” said the radio reporter who watched the grand Hindenburg burn to the ground.

  I wonder what words he would have found for SAG.

  Comment by Comment by Comment — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 2:17pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m with Sterling. There’s some off or incomplete in this story (again, having nothing to do with Nikki’s reporting). It simply doesn’t make sense, whether we love or hate the current negotiating team or think they are doing a brilliant job they are not a band of demons. They are not trying to screw the membership, even if we may disagree with either their goals or methods.

  I want more information.

  Comment by love's labors lost — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 3:54pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Its funny already said the fastest and most effective course of actions is the ELECTIONS, and yet people are still asking what can they do?

  1. Legal action: very long process and chances of success are very slim (ask AMJ and AR how there lawsuit is working out)

  2. Using SAGs By-Laws to remove an officer: Also a long process and chances are very slim because although anybody could file charges it is the board that would have to remove the officer by a 2/3rds vote (this process is to remove an individual officer because of gross misconduct not because you dislike the board’s policy)

  SO ONCE AGAIN THERE IS NOTHING THAT MEMBERSHIP CAN DO BESIDES VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION. There is no other legal action or union process that could have any effect bbefore the elections come around. And it is the only course of action that would likely resort in any change anyway. As long as the majority is legally voted to their position you are not likely to usurp their power (once again see how well the current lawsuit by AR & AMJ is working)

  So, you all have the answer and I assume you know how to vote, so if you choose to ignore that option… well, then I understand why the union is such a bad place

  Comment by Its The Elections Stupid — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 4:07pm PDT  Reply to this post

• calm down everyone…in 2000 a man took over the presidency of the united states even though he had less votes, and (allegedly?hahaha) changed votes in florida…

  sure the country paid a price in a destroyed economy (along with a destroyed world economy), a ruined environment (gee, it’s gotten hotter lately, hasn’t it?) and many lost lives overseas to change governments in irag over weapons of mass destruction and taliban connections that proved to never have been there

  sure, it was quite a price to pay, and it lasted for 8 years…but things change…

  sag and working class actors let the ‘powers that be’ win it this time…but history has a way of correcting itself…doesn’t it?

  Comment by johnnyjohnny — Tuesday March 10, 2009 @ 4:08pm PDT  Reply to this post