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The final count wasn't close: 78% voting "Yes", to 22% voting "No", with 30% of the 110,000+ SAG members in good standing all casting ballots. 
All the SAG reps in both the TV and Theatrical departments in both LA and NY have been informed they are to attend a meeting to be held by video teleconference tomorrow to review the new agreement and discuss issues of notifying independent producers, new codes, changes in forms, etc. (I'll have an analysis later in a separate post...) Meanwhile, SAG President Alan Rosenberg, who was part of the "Vote No" faction repudiated by the membership in this count, today told reporters waiting for the voting results that he will seek a 3rd term.
Here is the official SAG statement that just went out about the ratification results, followed by the AMPTP's official statement reacting to the vote, AFTRA's reaction, and Membership First's reaction:
SAG Members Overwhelmingly Ratify TV/Theatrical Agreements
Los Angeles, (June 9, 2009) -- Screen Actors Guild announced today that members have voted overwhelmingly to approve its TV/Theatrical contracts by a vote of 78 percent to 22 percent.
The two-year successor agreement covers film and digital television programs, motion pictures and new media productions. The pact becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. June 10, 2009 and expires June 30, 2011.
The contracts provide more than $105 million in wages, increased pension contributions, and other gains and establishes a template for SAG coverage of new media formats.
Approximately 110,000 SAG members received ballots of which 35.26 percent returned them – a return that is above average compared with typical referenda on Screen Actors Guild contracts. Integrity Voting Systems of Everett, WA, provided election services and tonight certified the final vote tally upon completion of the tabulation.
The vote count in the Hollywood Division was 70.70 percent to 29.30 percent in favor. In the New York Division, the vote count was 85.74 percent to 14.26 percent in favor. And in the Regional Branch Division, the vote count was 89.06 percent to 10.94 percent in favor.
Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg said, "The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us, who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning, believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory. Tomorrow morning I will be contacting the elected leadership of the other talent unions with the hope of beginning a series of pre-negotiation summit meetings in preparation for 2011. I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead,” Rosenberg added.
Screen Actors Guild Interim National Executive Director David White said, “This decisive vote gets our members back to work with immediate pay raises and puts SAG in a strong position for the future. Preparation for the next round of negotiations begins now. Our members can expect more positive changes in the coming months as we organize new work opportunities, repair and reinvigorate our relationships with our sister unions and industry partners, and continue to improve the Guild’s operations.”
Screen Actors Guild Chief Negotiator John McGuire said, "I want to thank the SAG members and staff who dedicated their time to the negotiations process. We emerged with a solid deal that the members have now voted up. The negotiating team worked tirelessly, building on the work of the first negotiating committee, to deliver these improvements to members.”
Screen Actors Guild began talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on April 15, 2008. Guild Chief Negotiator John McGuire, Interim National Executive Director David White, and Deputy National Executive Director for Contracts Ray Rodriguez, working with a 10-person negotiating task force comprised of Screen Actors Guild board members and officers representing the three divisions, reached the tentative agreement on April 16, 2009 after 12 months of periodic negotiations with the motion picture studios and television networks.
For further information on the new contract, including the full text and a summary of the agreement, click here.
---
The AMPTP issued this statement soon after:
The ratification vote by SAG members is good news for the entertainment industry. This concludes a two-year negotiating process that has resulted in agreements with all major Hollywood Guilds and Unions. We look forward to working with SAG members - and with everyone else in our industry -- to emerge from today's significant economic challenges with a strong and growing business.
---
AFTRA stated that President Roberta Reardon applauds SAG's contract ratification:
In a statement released on June 9, Roberta Reardon, National President of AFTRA, praised the announcement by Screen Actors Guild regarding ratification by SAG members of a new two-year successor agreement to the SAG Basic Agreement and SAG Television Agreement saying: “On behalf of the more than 70,000 members of AFTRA, I congratulate the members of Screen Actors Guild on their successful ratification of a new television and theatrical agreement. We’re pleased that SAG members will now enjoy improved wages and working conditions, and we applaud their efforts to negotiate a solid new agreement.”
---
And, on the Membership First website, SAG members said:
"The vote on the SAG TV/Theatrical Contract has demonstrated that 78% of the Membership agrees to creating a residual free/non-union zone in New Media. They also are trusting that AFTRA, the DGA and the WGA will negotiate with SAG in two years. And let’s not forget that included in the deal are Management’s rollbacks like Clip Consent and Force Majeure. So be it. The following is President Rosenberg’s statement:
“The membership has spoken and has decided to work under the terms of this contract that many of us, who have been involved in these negotiations from the beginning, believe to be devastatingly unsatisfactory. Tomorrow morning I will be contacting the elected leadership of the other talent unions with the hope of beginning a series of pre-negotiation summit meetings in preparation for 2011. I call upon all SAG members to begin to ready themselves for the battle ahead.”
Since the “yes” campaign was all about the Contract Term expiring in 2011 “so SAG can unify with the other Unions to fight another day”, Membership First will spend a lot of time and recourses working to make that happen. We will take the SAG Leadership at their word.
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And the union dies a slow, painful death.
Now all those BTLers and actors can get back to not working, as they slowly realize the lack of work had nothing to do with the contract.
Morons.
what now all you haters?????hahhhhh….lets get back to work already!!!!
Good to see this settled. Best of luck to all involved.
YES! Finally! WOOT!
We are doomed.
Goodbye Residuals….
Suckers.
“I tried didn’t I, God dammit. At least I did that.”
Maybe all the hair-on-fire vote no folks will now realize that being louder doesn’t guarantee you prevail….your biggest problem is inside your own union and not some outside evil force…
good sense prevailed here. the ousting of alan and allen was a masterstroke that has kept hollywood safe.
On behalf of the much beleaguered town, I thank you actors who voted yes. It was/is a crappy deal. The studios are crooked, evil, selfish, slimy bastards. I hope you all become stars and ream them beyond control.
In the meantime, let’s all get to work!
Even money there will be legal action filed tomorrow to try to block this. It ain’t over yet!
I find that hard to believe. We may need an investigation here of 1) pay offs and 2) the stuffing of ballots.
Okay, so, this being what it is now … let’s get busy new board members! We need a merger with AFTRA asap, new jurisdiction over all the TV shows AFTRA stole from us, and oh yeah, alignment with the other unions so we all negotiate together.
That is what you said, correct?
This result is horrible for anyone who actually makes a LIVING acting, because now there won’t be enough money in it going forward to bother. Watch for the agents in L.A. to start asking for a lot more upfront since we won’t be getting much in the way of residuals. Very telling, though… most people voting must be in this as a hobby. What’s the point of having a freaking Guild if it only represents the needs / wants of amateurs or millionaires?
unbelievable. the beginning of the end.
Wow. 78% voted yes. I am in shock. Just…total…shock. But as luck would have it I had already updated my “regular” resume today to start looking for another job. So my timing was good evidently.
I was able to make a living solely from acting for over 10 years as a middle class actor. That’s officially over. I’m 43 and going back in the work force. Look out world!
You know the studios and producers will take a hit on this as well. They just don’t know it yet. But quality will always win the day and they just made us all part timers. Good luck finding the talent guys! Oh and by the way, we are all aware that you no longer have control over distribution.
Glad its over. Sad to see SAG members that still want to eat their own and each other.
Everyone back in.
Fear? Fatigue?
Voting is the cornerstone of union democracy.
And experience is the best teacher.
Both sides made predictions.
Maybe the experience of the next two years won’t be as bad as I expect it to be.
I hope to GOD that we can all get back to work now. I’m just happy as a clam it passed. Thank you Lord.
Only in Hollywood. It took this long to accomplish nothing.
I hope to GOD that we can all get back to work now. I’m just happy as a clam it passed. My Hail Mary’s paid off last night.
Um…it’s the same deal the other unions have — no need for the apocalyptism. Rosenberg is the george w bush of this town — an underqualified, belligerent, warmongering idiot.
Of course it’s a horrible deal but SAG is in no position to get a better deal with all the factions and in-fighting. They’d never get a strike authorization vote and the AMPTP had no reason to improve it. So what was the option? SAG is to blame for this deal and needs to be run by somebody who has some business sense, not drama queen actors, and I’m an actor saying this.
I am beyond furious right now. I’m glad that it passed, but you morons put the rest of us through this and only one in three of you cared enough to vote. Fuck you all. I hope this deal finishes sag. Losers.
Ha, ha, the studios and the “stars” will be the only ones left who can afford to see movies or subscribe to cable/satellite. Their greed will ultimately drive them to bankruptcy. The class war is coming.
Does this mean we can expect Mulhern to shut the fuck up for 2 years?!
PB,
Good move, you weren’t that good an actor anyway.
Until union members realize that their so-called “unions” are nothing more than “for-profit businesses” owned and operated by their union executives, who look out for themselves and their producer friend’s best interest FIRST, nothing will every change.
Together, hand in hand, the union executives and producers insure that the industry keeps churning cash into their pockets – by any means necessary.
Once again, their “sheep” unquestioningly followed.
The studios are laughing up their sleeves at SAG tonight, just as they had a good bellylaugh last year, when Verrone, Young, and the other Neville Chamberlains who run my guild capitulated so egregiously. What a sad day.
Those who voted yes will sadly learn that they only screwed themselves on all counts. Not only no residuals or product placement protection or control over their image, but no increase in production as well, due to the fact everyone is having a hard time getting financing. The ONLY hope actors (as well as writers, etc) have is that the studios won’t be able to stockpile films and shows to the degree they did in the past in order to weather the next strike. In which case, EVERYONE better be prepared to walk, or the AMPTP will essentially have rendered all the unions totally meaningless. (You think you need a union to do animation in this town? Watch what will happen to film and TV shows once the unions are totally broken.)
The fact is, noone knows what will happen now / or would have happened if… either way. This vote, either way, was stepping into a void and saying: “Okay, now we’ll see how this plays out.” I went back and forth about which way to vote (I DID vote – SHAME on those who didn’t). In the end, I voted my conscience, which was to vote “No”.
I am very surprised that the vote coming out of LA, particularly, was so high to the “Yes”s. I thought that at least here it would be heavily weighted towards “No”s.
I truly believe that the possibility is very very VERY real that residuals will be taken away, that we will be screwed with regards to product placement and conflicts with commercials we’ve just done that could have paid our rent for a few more months, and that we may lose everything to the studios as they all switch to using new media. I feel it is VERY possible that we will lose in the end, as a result of this vote.
I am not normally a praying type, and I don’t mean to be melo-dramatic, but now I can only pray that we have not just sewn the seeds of our own demise.
Okay, instead of any gloating or griping (depending on which side of the fence you were on) can we PLEASE start finding common ground?
Everyone knows the contract wasn’t great. We didn’t get what we wanted because we were DIVIDED. We spent way more time fighting each other than negotiating with the AMPTP and that pretty much killed our clout.
I am BEGGING everyone to come TOGETHER NOW. Let’s put an end to “parties” in SAG and get back to a board that can agree to disagree but have actual DISCUSSIONS and come up with the best solution possible.
In TRUE Solidarity,
Peter Elliott
SAG Member
The union membership has spoken. And believe it or not, I really hope I am wrong that that overwhelming majority is going to regret this vote sooner rather then later. And sadly I don’t think the new media terms are going to be the ones that bite them first. And if the floodgates open and work appears everywhere, I’ll be the first to say I’m sorry I doubted that this was the holdup.
In the meanwhile, take a deep breath, relax for a day or day and then hold the majority to their promises. Good luck mending the rifts in your union. Good luck building fences and strong allegiances with other unions. I even hope my union can man up and be a strong partner for the future (but don’t ever entirely trust them, we don’t). The next round of negotiations are coming quickly and the AMPTP is going to want unions gone more then ever. We all need to get ready. (I may not have a vote in it, see comment above about my union. But I’ll have my ducks in order, my walking shoes ready. And I’ll have your back.)
Thank goodness. I know that this Blog is slanted toward the unions, and that most of the comments would almost always be the ‘vote no’ comments; but it was easy to get lost in those comments. Thank goodness cooler heads prevailed.
what a bunch of buffoons….
I’m proud to be a member of a union with people like Alan Rosenberg, Anne Marie Johnson, Kent McCord, Clancy Brown, and everyone who tirelessly fought for what they believed was best for our union and our membership. There are many names that should be added here including Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, Ed Harris, Scott Wilson, Tom Bower, David Clennon, Rob Schneider, and more and more names–Doug Allen.
If I wasn’t so ugly, I’d kiss you all square on the lips.
well, despite the outcome, there is no use crying over spilled milk. Membership has spoken and despite it not being the best outcome in some opinions, we cannot change it. I think we can try to heal our union, and we have elections to prepare for/look forward to, and hopefully filming is able to pick up and we can all look forward to and prepare for a more offensive negotiation session in 2011.
Nothing is going to come out of negativity. so lets all try to be proactive and productive instead of lamenting on the outcome, so hopefully SAG can build itself back up.
nice article, Nikki. no opinionizing or editorial.
As one who is not an actor, nor affiliated with the union in any way, i do not understand how 78% can pass this and still the nay-saying. does the above poster really believe that within the 78% yes, there is no talent to be found? I believe Clooney, Hanks, and others would disagree, but what do I know?
I hope the best for your union and that it finds a way to mend it’s fractures, internal and out.
thanks, again for keeping us informed, and good luck to SAG. Unions work best when they are unified.
An ACTOR temporarily waiting tables stops in his track. He jubiliantly jumps for joy having just heard the SAG contract is ratified.
ACTOR:
Whoo-hoo!!! Alright, let’s all get back to work now!
CUT TO:
SUPER: “Three Months Later”
Our Actor is busy talking on the phone with his agent.
ACTOR:
Hey, where’s all the work? What? Hollywood can’t compete with the TAX INCENTIVES offered by other states & countries? Huh? And the Banks & Wall street aren’t lending on as many film ventures in this economy?
ACTOR:
Voting yes was supposed to guarantee us more work!
ACTOR:
What’s that? I’m no longer on hold for that guest star spot? WHY? They’ve checked my conflicts and because I have a major beverage commercial running and my character will be product endorsing a competitor I lost the job? WTF?????
ACTOR:
What do you mean I can’t audition for that internet gig??? But it’s a big producer who I’d love to work with. HUH? What? It’s non-union? I thought SAG had jurisdiction on all new media? WTF!!
ACTOR:
So, not as many calls for TV. Oooh yes, that’s right, I forgot. I’m gonna have to join AFTRA if I wanna work in TV. Ok well, bye for now! (PAUSE) What’s that you say? You’re closing your agency? Why? Not enough money coming in on residuals now since AFTRA took over TV? Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.
ACTOR:
Guess this deal wasn’t just about us actors was it?
THE END
SMELLS FISHY to me
I am proud to be one of those members in the 22% bracket.
For the rest of you…wait and feel the pain of the next few years, the other crafts will also feel the pain and loss of the post 60’s agreement.
And those who say we can get back to work now…don’t hold your breath.
P.S. I do find comfort in knowing somebody paid A LOT of money to get these results…78%…ya right.
Congratulations to the AMPTP, Unite for Strength and the New National Majority on the new contract.
Now as I understand the intentions of U4S and the NNM, the next step they would like to accomplish is to build solidarity with the WGA, AFTRA, the DGA I assume, and other unions in anticipation of what may well be an epic contract fight in 2011. Nikki reported above that SAG President Alan Rosenberg has already taken the first steps towards building this solidarity by reaching out to other union leaders.
We also need to organize. As I am not in the thick of the guild’s financials, I don’t know exactly where we stand, but if we’re going to be unified and strong, investing in organizing is key. The sooner we place a fresh and vigorous emphasis on this vital work, the better SAG’s negotiating position will be in 2011.
I’m amused that people think they are now “going back to work.” You’re not. Networks are buying fewer shows, studios are making fewer movies. It has nothing to do with the SAG strike and everything to do with the changing landscape of media.
And we just voted to not have a stake in that changing landscape.
Of course, you can always work on one of Freemantle’s non-union shows.
It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so tragic.
Basically, SAG members just wanted to get back to the possibility of more work opportunities right now. I think the majority of Yes voters know it is a horrible contract and the majority of these YES voters are hoping get a better deal with a united SAG in 2011. A question I would like to ask all the YES voters is, “Did you vote YES because you just wanted to get back to work or did you vote YES because you think this is a fair contract.” I voted YES because I think it dragged on to long and I wanted to get back to work. I think it is a horrible contract. Many of the YES voters I have spoken with feel the same way. SAG and film crew suffered greatly. It took to long. Yes the contract is horrible. Hopefully, are pension and health plan will be devastated by the loss of all those employer contributions. Hopefully, all those SAG actors will see a major decrease in their income through loss of residuals. Hopefully SAG will see this and unite in 2011 and have a effective solution that they can, next time, execute
Can’t believe the number of “back to work” comments, from pathetically uniformed actors. The work never stopped, fools! Last years contract has been used all along, and all the pilots were done AFTRA. We never stopped working – the only exception being a few big budget films, with expensive name actors attached, have been on hold. But the actors (95%) who don’t work big budget films on a regular basis, will soon find out, as someone said above, their lack of work had nothing to do with the contract issues.
5,000 signed vote NO. 1,200 signed vote yes. Vote yes wins 78% to 22%. “Those who cast the ballots decide nothing. Those who count the ballots decide everything.” These results are bogus.
Hey Bills to Pay:
Good luck paying your bills with this contract.
Actors are so fucking stupid. You all screwed yourselves and literally gave EVERYTHING the AMPTP wanted. You call that a negotiation?
I’d say don’t quit your day jobs but you guys don’t work anyway.
This negotiation is over and guess who are the losers.
You losers.
Yo Ro Ro, I’m with you. It’s a bad deal. But I think the ‘Vote No’ people were really out of step with the majority of the electorate on this.
The infighting dragged this thing out at least six months beyond where it needed to go. It made all actors look like a bunch of morons. And a lot of actors are married or partnered with other below the line folks, and they saw how dragging this thing out was affecting everyone’s livelihood.
Not to mention anyone who picked up a newspaper (a dwindling group of people) or read a news aggregator saw that the economy, and especially Southern California’s economy, was headed down the toilet.
Even the GM unions made concessions under the Obama administration’s bankruptcy deal. It was not the year to go on strike folks. Timing is everything.
Merge with AFTRA already, boot the extras, and next time get on the same timetable as the other unions and let the DGA do the talking and the WGA handle the hardball.
Gee, there’s a stunner. SAG devoted untold (literally) resources to selling the “Yes” vote to its members via e-mail, on the web, in the regular mail, and all of it with a drumbeat of fear not matched since the Bush administration, though similar to the Republicans shrieking about terrorists being brought to the U.S. to take jobs as Cub Scout Den Leaders.
It will be interesting to see the response of most in that 78% over the next year they are “rewarded” by the same board members and executives who will proceed to rob them of the right to vote in future elections.
In SAG, as with local, state and the federal government, the problem is not bad leadership as much as it is ignorant and ill-informed voters.
We’re so fucked now. Start thinking of a great new day/night job folks, because this is the end of the road for most actors. The only chances you have to make are if you become producer/actors.
Oh, and all you SAG vested peeps? Unless you’re planning on retiring in the next 5 years, there won’t be any pension money for you to collect.
Thanks to all the assholes who fucked us over royally.
Way to rollover guys, you’re just empowering a terminally ill business model.
You needed another Reagan to stand tall and firm against the bullies….but then, so does the country. Instead, all we have are posers.
I called bullshit earlier and I’m calling it now. Something doesn’t smell right. 77% is an overwhelming majority for a ballot that was this contentious. I know and work with a lot of SAG members, and to the last they were voting no.
Good luck to SAG, you’re now well and truly fucked. And to all the dumbasses who think that they’re going to magically start to get calls from their agents: Let me know how you’re doing six months from now. As a working writer I can tell you; the work that is out there now, is all there is. There is no stockpile of productions waiting in the wings for this contract ratification.
I predicted earlier that the vote would go overwhelmingly in favor, but not because SAG members supported it. I’m telling you, something ain’t right here – 77% is stunningly high for this contract. I’m calling shenannigans.
Either way, SAG is officially dead as of tonight.
Hey “Basically”
- There won’t be a “next time”. If these results are real, which I highly doubt and a law suit should ensue as of tomorrow, we will NEVER get back what assholes just gave away. You cannot make producers go from paying you $700 in residuals down to $24 and back up.
The bottom line is: It’s OVER folks. The Screen Actors Guild as you know it is OVER. 75 years and it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Sure, a new union may form, but that will take time and a hell of a lot more hair pulling. It will take decades for a P&H to build up in that new union. And celebrity stars aren’t going to join – they’ll just hire themselves a good lawyer.
This whole ratification was an assault on the working class actors, which is 95% of the union. We will never see the likes of the protections we had before. It’s G-O-N-E, gone!!
And this, too, is the beginning of the end for all the other unions. Once you break down one, in particular SAG, the rest will crumble in short order. So to all those yelling at SAG as if somehow it was our fault that AFTRA sold us out dirty, as if somehow it was our fault that hedge funds and their failure to thrive was our doing, look out. Tonight you shouldn’t be praying. Tonight you should be getting sloppy drunk and drowning your sorrows in whiskey and get your mourning over now. It is only going to get WAY worse from here on out, unless you have yourselves a back-up financial plan.
Rest in Peace, Screen Actors Guild. I so badly wanted to be one of those who AT LEAST could look back in my 70’s and rest comfortably knowing that I made some kind of a living and a retirement doing what I loved. I was so happy to join the union and even happier that I got into the union working on the glorious “E.R.” – a show in which the likes of George Clooney and others bought beautiful houses from it’s residuals. I will never know even a taste of what actors like himself had as an actor since he and other vied to and succeeded in stealing that away from me. You will be terribly missed, but as I’ve said, I am doing my mourning now.
Tomorrow I guess I need to hit the dusty road and find a new career because myself and other actors just got buried tonight.
At least the tombstones of WGA, AFTRA, DGA, and IATSE will soon follow, so I know we’re not alone.
My guess is over the next few months you’ll see your friends at the AMPTP roll out some of their best ideas for ways exploit New Media in ways only imagined by those who had the sense to vote no.
Can’t talk too much right now. This jump start in production has my phone ringing off the hook.
I have to laugh..the naysayers and moronish NO voters are still screaming absurdities about no work and no residuals (I just got another one today, thank you).
78%!!!!!!!
No Voters–when 4 out of 5 people tell you to sit down, you’re drunk–SIT DOWN!
When 4 out of 5 SAG members tell you you’re wrong–YOU’RE WRONG! SIT THE FUCK DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!
You were liars about the non-residuals, liars about the record-breaking “new media” (what a joke that is as Fox sells it’s whole new office complex where the supposed “new media” was to be headquartered), and so stupid that while you were arguing over NOTHING, AFTRA was stealing all the Crown Jewels of television! That is the legacy of MF!
Please go away and DIE!
Hey Scott Barry,
4 out of 5 people told me the Iraq War was an awesome idea, too. I said it wasn’t. How’d that gem work out?
Just because the majority of SAG actors are ignorant or just worn down by the infighting, doesn’t mean this won’t be a devastating contract for actors.
We’re done as a union. You’d have to be an idiot to think otherwise.
And when we talk about “work not coming back” we’re speaking to the people who believe having a contract will increase work. It won’t, because the downturn has nothing to do with whether or not there is a contract. There are many other factors at work right now that are killing jobs.
But, nice work with the gloating. Doesn’t make you seem like an asshole at all.
And so, the rich bullies win again – as if they ever doubted it. Way to go, SAG. Way to lay down and take it. I truly hope that you are/were right about this supposed “immediate” work we’re about to get. You’ve given up so much for it…
Let’s also hope you’re right that we’ll be able to renegotiate the contract terms in two years. Will you be willing to fight then, either? I doubt it.
But this is where we are – as a union and as an industry. The dust has settled, or will soon, and we will all know what we’ve allowed to happen and what it cost us.
First – congratulations to the “yes” people and their patrons. I’ll forget about the gratuitous shots form “Chris” and, I’m sure, many others. Gracious winners, all.
I have nothing to offer but stunned – air-gun- to -the- head – of – the – cow surprise. 78%. That’s an ass-whuppin of epic proportions.
I literally had no idea, no sense of how it would go, but I had NO idea the 30% who voted (how incredibly pathetic is that?) voted so overwhelmingly for this contract.
I saw no empirical evidence, because, of course, there wasn’t any. I saw blogs that were leaning, generously 60-40, even 70-30 “no” in the last couple of weeks. I saw very high profile actors come out with passionate videos for the “no” vote, I saw a “yes” push obviously following talking points from a high priced p.r. firm, “let’s get back to work,” “I voted ‘yes’ with pride,” but no meat on the bones of the “yes” argument, and a sort of complete disappearing act of even discussing the new media terms towards the closing couple of weeks, clearly a strategic decision by the p.r. firm that was followed with discipline by all the high profile actors who spoke out for vote “yes.”
To say I’m stunned is an understatement. I’m not gonna say “it’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine,” and the LAST thing I want to talk about is why this was a disastrous contract for the SAG middle class actor. The L.A. town hall was overwhelmingly “no.” The NY town hall I attended, I honestly felt was 60-40% “no” – there was real pushback in that room and I thought Alan Rosenberg had a very good night.
But, unless I hear something plausible that questions this, which seems highly unlikely to me – I’m not a conspiracy guy – MF just got the living shit kicked out of it, and if this is what the membership truly wants, then let’s get out of their way. They won.
All the arguing about it is just noise now.
Big business is king at this point. They played us all like violins and now we’re going to slowly come apart at the seams. It’s nothing new, it’s just sad.
Scott Barry, that’s a ridiculous post.
Good luck everybody, things are going to get worse before they get better. Just try to survive.
Oh,…….I get it……….Jonestown!!!
Once again the AMPTP tactic of stalling, obfuscating, peddling an untenable offer, chest-pounding, stalling, rabble-rousing, obfuscating, stalling, refusing to yield, and stalling has paid dividends.
With all this positive reinforcement, I wonder what tactic they’ll be liable to use in the future?
The right side lost, but by less than last time. WGA voters fucked themselves over by a ratio of 13 to 1, whereas the proportion of SAG voters who ate shit to those who held out for better was only 7 to 2.
Scott Barry, “when 4 out of 5 people tell you to sit down, you’re drunk–SIT DOWN!”
Your friends are right. You need to ease up on the booze. It’s making you a little angry.
Why did only 30% of you selfcentered, obssessed with your faces, celebritycravers VOTED??!!!??
You deserve to loose whatever residuals you were supposed to take in the future.
It was an easy YES or NO question.
You moronic lazy brutes.
Scott Barry,
You’ll see what all the fuss was about as you clearly missed the boat. In the meantime, feel free to save those residuals as you won’t be getting them for long. Obviously, you don’t seem to understand why. Then maybe you should try reading the CONTRACT dumbass.
Even people who voted yes recognize how shitty a deal this is. And yes, you’re a dumbass who shouldn’t ever quit your day job… ever.
Wow!!! What a relief!! Now I can concentrate 100% on my restaurant gig and sleep like a baby at night knowing, as we used to say in the old neighborhood, that I did the right thing.
They should publish all the names of all the actors who voted “yes”. I’ve got my ball bat in my car…
So, basically, SAG members have endured a loss of $85 million in earnings in order to get the same contract that was available in June of 2008.
Gee, why does this remind me so much of the 2000 Commercials strike?
Sally, Tom, let’s go for it now. Two years is not a long time.
Be the spearhead of this charge to 2011. Get out front and show us
how to do this. Bring us all together. Sunset Provision. We need more videos from the two of you. Thank you for looking out for us actors.
Just goes to show that the noise makers here are just rabble. The people who actually work for a living in the industry voted with common sense.
Only 35.26% of a 110,000 member union vote? So the roughly 30,250 members of your union who voted “Yes” rolled the other 79,750 members.
If it wasn’t funny, it’d be a little sad. Your union is pathetic. You should probably de-certify and save dues money. You’re actions, or lack thereof, prove you are nothing more than a social club.
Signed,
A Real Union Member, But Not A Crappy Hollywood One
Astonishing. SAG has excellent security around its balloting, and members from both sides of the political aisle oversee the count, yet some whiners are actually crying “foul.” As usual, they don’t get it: just because some members make a lot of noise, get righteously but mis-guidedly fired up, and go all Waiting For Lefty, doesn’t mean that they come close to representing to will of the entire guild.
5000 people signing an online No petition and 1200 signing a YES petition has nothing to do with representing a sample of actual SAG voters around the country. Read about math, statistics, and polling.
Crying foul over this vote further demonstrates the fantasy world some members sadly cling to. It’s the same fantasy world that thought SAG leadership should attack and belittle AFTRA until AFTRA walked away from joint bargaining, the same fantasy world that spent over a hundred grand of much-needed SAG money to try to defeat the AFTRA contract, the same fantasy world that’s responsible for SAG’s not having an agency deal, the same fantasy world that killed the last SAG-AFTRA merger by fear-mongering. And they STILL think they’re right!
MF has failed to grasp and speak for the interests of actors who actually put food on their table through SAG work. Their paradigm of unionism is lost somewhere in the 1940s.
I say let the doubters personally go in and count every ballot themselves and then go away and work on their next conspiracy theory.
OK, You’ve had your say, now get back to work.
A FRIGGIN LANSLIDE…NO GROUND TO STAND ON MFers…GIVE IT UP…
The rank and file (especially in Hollywood) decided to ignore you and vote quietly because they didn’t buy your bullshit. They didn’t buy it. You were telling lies and they saw through it. So they didn’t bother to blog. They waited for the ballot and voted. And in a big way. What was it 36%? I’d like the Guild to have a better turnout, but it’s the best it’s been in years.
READ ‘EM AND WEEP.
Pauly
This site’s posters owe alot of A listers an apology especially Clooney.
‘Atta boy, Mars, you selfish prick…way to throw your brethren under the bus…
Does this mean we don’t get to watch any more Ed Asner videos?
I’ve worked in this industry for 15 years in which I get a yearly salary and sometimes a bonus. I work hard putting contracts together so that films get financed and distributed, and the companies that I have worked for make billions, but I don’t get future residuals for my work. At most, I get a matching percentage for my 401k, vacation and health coverage. Now, I’m not against SAG, DGA or WGA getting residuals, but on the other hand, why should the unions get residuals to begin with when the rest of the world doesn’t residuals for their work? I realize that the studios are slimy bastards, cheap skates and full of shit, but I don’t really believe that they should necessarily be obligated to pay residuals. And let’s face it, the Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts & Brad Pitts of the world make a crap load of money off the back-end. Oh, right, residuals helps keep the unions P&H plans flush with money.
SAG, please for the love of God, PLEASE learn from your mistakes and join forces with WGA, DGA and AFTRA when negotiating with AMPTP in 2011. Otherwise this horrible ordeal will just be repeated.
I can only say I’m very saddened but not surprised by this outcome. Now we wait for the other shoe to drop – reality.
The giving away of SAG continues..
Bye, residuals.
You all were warned. I guess you just didn’t like making a living as an actor.
You will come to regret this contract. Mark my words.
Sigh.
I’m one of those middle class actors who will suffer for this. That 22% who voted ‘no’ because I saw that this will effectively destroy any sustainable existence in this industry unless you’re one of the lucky few on a series or the tens who are movie stars.
I get that every actor believes in themselves to the point that we all picture ourselves holding the Oscar© on stage someday. We’re all immensely talented and we just need to get all these pretenders out of our way for the world to see that. We’re all playing the lottery and hope to get that one in a million ticket to fame and fortune.
But I’m one of those guys with the wife and the kids who’s dream had changed. All I wanted to do was make enough money doing what I loved to support my family. The glory and the fame are fine, but I was okay supporting others on their way up or down as long as my kids had a roof over their head. Simple requests: health insurance, residuals, adequate pay.
As I said, either way, we were screwed. I voted no because I wanted to stand up against what I believe was right, rather than this forced retreat of a contract we’ve ratified. I’ll still go to battle for the jobs (I did today), but now I know that I’m fighting the losing battle.
Good luck to us all.
Mike
libby …
you’re not lending your name and likeness for use by other companies in perpetuity in your line of work.
I’m in the hardline MF camp, and I agree with Stephen Collins that the integrity of the ballot count is sound. I thought it was just as ridiculous of U4Sers to make such a stink over the polling of the membership as it is for people to be crying foul now. The union may be a lot of things, but dishonest ballot/poll counters it is not.
Only 30% out of 110,000 voted??
Really???
Guess the rest didn’t care enough
Hey Funny Farm,
Did you ever earn a living from acting? My guess is no. You’re a waiter, huh? Bartender? Gotta be part timer to have voted for this thing.
Well, my hope is that you succeed my friend. And then you will know for a fact that you can’t make a living. Good luck, asshole.
To: Stephen Collins
You’re wrong about both sides of the political aisle overseeing the count.
This is not a Tltle 4 (election) referendum.
Therefor there was NO “overseeing”.
The ballots were sent to IVS in Washington state.
There was a running count done.
No one from the Guild oversaw anything.
Ben
This was the only way to vote. SAG screwed itself by turning on itself. There was no strike authorization to go with a “no” vote and half measures accomplished nothing. Let’s hope that the union can get it’s s**t together by the next vote and not be a bunch of hysterical drama queens in the next negotiation. Strategy, it’s not just a word at the spelling bee.
Whatever. Now it’s time to go over the heads of SAG, AMPTP,ATA, NLRB,AFofL,CIO,4A’s; and all those other alphabet crooks; to seek redress from Justice Department, Anti-Trust Division, other branches of Government, to break up monopolies, collusion, price fixing, restraint of trade, and other predatory practices foisted upon unions, organized labor and the working class. It’s rampant. Time for a house cleaning. We’ve already begun to fight, and actually getting some traction. There’s got to be one honest man or woman out there.
The fact that only 30% of the eligible membership voted is rather indicative of just how out of touch the leadership (both sides) is with the rank and file members. Either the importance of this vote was not conveyed to the members, or they were thoroughly turned off by the asinine politics. SAG needs real leaders to emerge; not these children who let ego get in the way of the big picture. The AMPTP sat back with big grins and watched with glee as the two factions inside SAG feasted on each other.
First: the deal did suck more than a bit. Sorry.
Second: So glad to see that a guild that has 80%+ members not working will not dictate the workflow for the rest of us.
Third: Not the end. Get independent and get ownership on your own.
SAG: get your membership employed and then get a say in what happens. Until then, self-distribute, self-own and wait for the studios to go through what the music industry is now swallowing.
Maybe is it time and technology that is eating up the unions, Maybe there is more opportunity here to vastly outweigh corporate maneuvering. Maybe we can be smarter, faster and a damn sure more creative than they can be.
The majority vote = the right vote.
Really?
Read history much?
If 70% of your friends decided to jump off a cliff, would you say that that was a wise move simply because 70% of them said it was?
I bet you smoke. Which is fucking weak.
Let’s see if you are making as much noise a year from now you f-ing weaklings.
Oh, I am sorry, are you on a series? Well don’t let your conscience bother you too much.
30% vote with 70% out of work. The most USELESS guild/union ever! The Dramatic Chipmunk made more impact than all those pretentious “no” videos.
“I’ll get back to you”.
The odd thing is the AMPTP spoke candidly to the NY Times about ending residuals in this rtound of contract negotiations in that now-famous article from July 12, 2007.
It’s not so much that the membership ate it up and voted yes. It’s that some of you continue to believe you haven’t given that up when all the facts were handed to you 2 years ago by the AMPTP.
It’s one thing to give in and say “it’s the best we’re gonna do with all the other unions voting yes.” It’s another to believe this isn’t the end of residuals when the AMPTP looked you in the face and told you this contract will end residuals.
Say what you will. But understand your opponent– not MF or Rosenberg, but the AMPTP–looked you in the eye, told you they would eliminate your residuals, and 80% of you gave in. You gave in. You need to own that. We may have won the battle, but we’ve lost the war–we’ve lost it all.
Never leave it to SAG to stand for something. You actors are so eager to please that you doomed us all. Have fun advertising stuff for free.
PB,
Are you still here? I thought you left. Poor thing, you just can’t give up the “dream” can you. It’s ok, most of your MF buddies suffer from the same delusions so you’re not alone.
Now as far as your last missive goes let me just say this; my dues this year alone could pay for your room, your board and your subscription to “Background Players Digest”" for the next 18 months.
The spirit of 75 years of hard work, dedication and good will created and sustained this Hollywood Union
- to protect our fellow actors from exploitation, abuse and harm
- to ensure fair compensation for their work and talent and give them some security and dignity in their old age.
This commendable spirit of our Guild forefathers has been wounded and trampled upon.
To those who call themselves “United for Strength”, those who supported and/or
orchestrated their deceitful goal, whether out of naïveté, arrogance or ill intent, I say, there is no amount of denial, propaganda or expensive P.R. that can erase the dark stain of shame branded on your heart. It will shrivel and ache in your chest every time you look in the eyes of your fellow actors.
There are no sunglasses or shadows dark enough to hide your shameful betrayal – no amount of lies or pretense that will save you from knowing that you have worked against the welfare of those actors who put their trust in you.
All the aged actors who live to make ends meet with those small residuals and the future generation of supporting actors who will not earn the minimum for the
safety of a pension and health insurance will witness the means for their existence discounted.
You will be remembered by all the generations of past and future talent, whose unfortunate demise you have authored.
Though you will do your best to forget them.
AUM Shanti.
Sincerely,
France Nuyen
SAG may not know how it’s members vote, but it knows which of it’s members vote. It also knows which members have a 0% likelihood of returning their ballots. It is my contention that the current regime stuffed the ballot with enough of those 0% to get the 78% margin, OR that SAG is so full of non-actors to render the vote of the actual actors meaningless. In two years I’ve discussed this matter with EVERY actor I’ve been able to, and over 90% said they were voting NO. There is no way that so many actors beleived in vote NO and then went home and voted yes. These results are bogus. This is no time for secrecy. Too much is at stake. Let the name of every voter who turned in their ballot be released, so we can see who these people are, to make sure they are all viable.
My response to Libby and the question of residuals.
“Now, why should the unions get residuals to begin with when the rest of the world doesn’t residuals for their work? ”
It’s taken decades for musicians to get a bill sponsored so that every time you Libby download a song or hear it played over the airwaves they get a royalty check instead of it going to the music publishers/songwriters. Who wrote your favorite song?
Novelists, may get an advance, but once that advance is spent (5k) they have to pay the publisher back that money (residuals) before they get a percentage of the book they wrote.
Writers, for the screen get a check, perhaps not a million dollar check ala the Friends writers, but if the show is successful in syndication etc, they get a few pennies which might make a dollar.
Residuals pay people the money they are entitled to for making billionaires out of producers, publishers etc who lack the talent, the skills, the will and the power to create anything.
Actors are entitled to the residuals because they alone interpret the words and bring human emotion to the alphabet. Most actors will work another job and go to rehearsals for weeks to do community theater. WAKE UP as Spike Lee wrote or continue to serve your masters ( the studios, producers) wine and cheese and other things every night, every Oscar party or Golden Globe afterglow.
Residuals Now, Residuals forever, SAG sucks if they can devour their very own existence.
Libby,
I too labored hard over contracts for years but Anonymous is right. No one is exploiting our names, voices and/or likenesses for eternity on any media. For better or worse we go down in anonymity, our names buried in dusty legal files somewhere or, mercifully, extinguished so we don’t have to take responsibility for what we have done.
You should maybe look up for a moment from those contracts and consider the basic function of a contract – that it governs something. It is not an entity in itself, though it may seem so to you, buried in your lawyer’s security. Out there are real people carrying on an art form and a business, 2 elements constantly in tension. No one is served well by a contract that is overbearingly weighted in favor of one side, as often happens when art collides with money and money wins out.
SAG has just lost 75 years of hard-fought-for gains on behalf of the vast majority of their membership. Residuals were the means by which this huge pool of diverse and professional talent survived to grace our screens and earn the billions that pour into our industry. All told, the AMPTP companies could have easily paid every one of the SAG demands and still made healthy profits.
Now we will have to wait and see if Hollywood survives the loss of its talent pool as an era of being able to just make a living comes to an end and – yes – that P&H fund that provided stunt men with medical services when they injured themselves making a star look like a hero, that pension or small residual that allowed a small measure of dignity to a great talent in old age, all that will be gone. You may not have a job when it all disappears.
We are all dependant on each other. Remember this when you put your nose back in those contracts.
Congratulations to all my SAG brothers and sisters who know about taking the deal. We will live to fight another day. And now I can delete this ridiculous blog site from my bookmarks and all you fucking no-talent assholes who love to hear yourselves blow on about a business you don’t know anything about can go back to your day jobs. Let’s move along shall we!
Not with a bang, but a whimper. (STAGE BELL RINGS) “We’re back”.