AFTRA Tops SAG In Primetime Next Season

COMMENTS (47)

• The anti-merger neanderthals commenting here KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AFTRA.

  The “T” in AFTRA came into being in the early ’50s because many actors were aware that television actors needed a union separate from the studio-compliant Screen Actors Guild – which was ruled by elitist film actors who looked down their noses at TV. The TVA was an actor-driven union and merged with AFRA after two years existence.

  AFTRA originated actors’ residuals and industry-financed pension & health. It was the middle-class TV actors’ haven. SAG eventually tagged along and finally realized that TV meant money.

  Now these two unions are vying for the TV pie. Terrible for actors. Management plays one union off the other. Obviously.

  It is to the middle-class actors’ advantage to have ONE UNION for all performers – of every stripe. This can only be achieved through cooperation and merging of these two organizations.

  Comment by listenup — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 11:15am PDT  Reply to this post

• Ah the ignorance. Let’s clear up a few mind-blowers:

  I have written and directed indies, one went to Sundance and got a theatrical release. The bitching of some 200k amateur fool writer/director should be treated for what it is – trash.

  I got both my movies made, SAG. Deal with it. Actors do this for a LIVING. They take flyers on indies where they make shit simply to work and maybe get some screen time. They couldn’t give a shit about the 200k directors “vision.” Wake the fuck up.

  Second: In the last STILL IN EFFECT JUST NOT BEING ENFORCED NLRB RULING – The PRODUCERS wanted more than just live vaudeville type crap. They wanted SCRIPTED COMEDIES AND DRAMAS. And THEY – the producers, wanted SAG, and wanted the TV industry to come out to Hollywood and make quality shit.

  The NLRB said “sounds right.” THEY GAVE SCRIPTED TV (and SAG already had ALL MOVIES – REGARDLESS OF METHOD OF CAPTURE, up to and INCLUDING digital, which was not forseen at the time but was included in the language of that 1950 ruling “ANY OTHER method of capture not yet existing”) – to SAG. They gave the TVA which became AFTRA “LIVE TV.” That’s it. LIVE TV. And THAT’S the ruling at the NLRB ever since.

  So why isn’t the current government of SAG challenging AFTRA with the NLRB over this “we SHARE digital bullshit?” Because the current government of SAG wants to DESTROY SAG and merge into a producer-compliant union that never strikes – THAT’S their idea of “a stable union.”

  Why didn’t previous pro-SAG, anti-merger SAG governments not challenge AFTRA over jurisdiction? First, they were afraid it would result in opening some imagined Pandora’s box of problems whereby the NLRB could DIMINISH their jurisdiction. SECOND – SAG DOMINATED MOVIES AND TV – why bother?

  Now? Now, we have the perfect storm: An actors A-list that could EASILY have insisted on a fair contract for SAG in 2008, but sided with the producers, because NONE of them NEED to worry about pension or health or minimums or ANY other union protections.

  They are MULTI-MILLIONAIRES who are either motivated by pure greed (don’t stop MY gravy train) or SIEVE-HEADS who bought the “oh NO – STRIKE during “the GREAT RECESSION!?” bullshit the moderates in SAG and AFTRA and the producers cooked up – despite ALL PRECEDENT pointing to ONE business that does well in economic downturns – THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS – and GUESS WHAT? 2009? RECORD YEAR FOR BOX OFFICE. Morons.

  Three : AFTRA’s TV contract is MORE EXPENSIVE THAN SAG’S. Understand-o?

  This is ALL a moderate SAG/AFTRA/producer wet dream that is SCREWING rank and file actors out of residuals – for GOOD eventually – which will cut our incomes by 1/3rd, 1/2 or MORE, and placing us, potentially in a “union” that NEVER STRIKES.

  YES, the producers want a “stable union” to deal with. But, THAT’S WHAT THEY MEAN BY STABLE – actors who, except for stars, get paid shit and leadership that does NOTHING ABOUT IT.

  How about a fucking REVOLUTION? “Let them eat cake?” REALLY?
  Let’s see how THAT goes.

  Comment by telemark — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 1:24pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I’m not quite sure how AFTRA is legally allowed to represent actors when they have gone out their way to “guarantee” low pay days and the destruction of residuals.

  Seriously?

  I once had a claim against one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies. My AFTRA rep told me (in January) that it was no big deal, I’d have my money in a few weeks. 15 months later I had to threaten to go public. Instead of calling the business department the rep called the actual producers and made the claim with them which stopping a recurring role from further recurring.

  After threatening to go public, and going above he rep’s head, had my sizeable amount of money to me in a week.

  AFTRA is definitely a criminal organization interested only in the destruction of SAG for bragging rights. They certainly don’t care about their members.

  Comment by AFTRA is The Devil — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 2:05pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I hate what AFTRA has done to actors in this town. There is no way to survive as a working middle class actor anymore. Actually there will be no middle class actors – only stars and then those who can’t survive. There are no residuals with these AFTRA shows and that was the only way to survive.

  Comment by actingup — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 2:23pm PDT  Reply to this post

  • Listen up and educate yourself! An AFTRA prime time dramatic network series is produced under Exhibit A of the AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice. SAG rules for initial compensation and reruns APPLY. Producers can only “advance” residuals if you make more the $7,000 for a 1/2 hour show and $10,000 if it is 1 hour or longer. The middle class actor will survive and will receive residuals. Know more than your agent, union and the producer. trust only yourself, we are survivors!

    Comment by TBA — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 5:50pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The history of AFTRA is really quite sordid. AFRA was a radio union and then some weak east coast unions decided to improve their lot by making a run on the Screen Actors Guild’s jurisdiction. They formed the Television Authority. The “T” in AFTRA is from the TvA but the TvA never organized any scripted TV shows that were made like a Theatrical Motion Pictures, out of sequence over a multiple day period. So the “T” in AF’T'RA came from the TvA but the TvA never had any ‘T’ except “live” broadcast shows. Its is on the record, The exact percentage of Television Motion picture the TvA had when TV jurisdiction was decided. It was nil. You can look it up.

  The rest of your comment is pure drivel which you cannot substantiate or some wacky New Yorkers fantasy.

  The AFTRA originated residuals came from the fact that AFRA actors had to do two show a day (for the east and west coast time zone. AFTRA actors alway work for scale SAG actor always work above scale. Then in the radio days, Bing Crosby figured out he could tape one performance and still get paid twice. AFTRA actors worked the same amount of days for less money because in “live” TV they got paid a rehearsal rate. SAG actor always made much more money. SAG rates and residuals have alway paid more, because you don’t have rehearsal days rates like AFTRA.

  It is to the middle-class actors’ advantage to have ONE UNION for all performers –SAG. AFTRA actors should decertify the AFTRA and merge with SAG.

  Comment by LarryB — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 4:11pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Hey Alex and Working Actor,

  Even if we do merge it won’t mean a damn if actors aren’t fairly compensated
  for the re-use of their work with some SMALL percentage across ALL platforms.
  If residuals die, SAG and/or AFTRA or AIMA or UNCLE JOE’S UNION will die.
  Period. The pension and health programs will fail and that will be that.
  No more middle-class actors filling in the dry spells with the help of residuals.
  That’s the whole game.

  Get us a “good deal” ? I’m sure the Joint Negotiating Committee is all ears.
  Go ahead. Lay it on them, Working Actor. Tell them exactly how to go about that.

  Todd Waring,
  You’re re-writing history.
  Doug Allen’s chief problem was having the National Board agree to a strike authorization
  and then do an about face and deny it. Thanks RBD and NY.
  Again, go ahead … let’s merge.
  But unless the new union and it’s leadership stand up to the corporations at some point,
  they will offer us less and less every time we deal.
  One set of dues and no race to the bottom would be great.
  But that won’t be enough if your residuals are eliminated.

  Comment by Thunder Ruck — Thursday July 15, 2010 @ 5:58pm PDT  Reply to this post

• True, but you put the cart before the horse in one area. The producers drive to put a stake in the heart of SAG resulted in all corporate produced shows starting last year to got to HD. The switch from film to digital was not technology based, but a way to ensure they would not have to deal with SAG. I work on one that was switched, and it was not a choice but an order from above.

  Comment by alightman — Friday July 16, 2010 @ 10:22pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Yes, and the out-of-body, mind-bending aspect of all this is, if SAG would simply file a Unit Certification claim against AFTRA, the NLRB would be forced to deal with the only existing NLRB precedent (nothing else matters) which says AFTRA has only – ONLY! – “live TV.”

  Think about that. The NLRB, faced with that claim, would be forced to do what they did in 1950, which is decide if AFTRA is violating SAG’s charter, the answer to which is “yes,” then put out a referendum asking SAG actors which union they wish to represent them, SAG or AFTRA, as is their federal right.

  It is the right of the EMPLOYEES to choose their union – NO ONE ELSE.

  Who is NOT doing this, real-time, right-now, while this conflict flares? The moderate government of SAG. Why? Because they WANT to merge into a producer compliant union with AFTRA and the LAST thing they want to know is what the MEMBERSHIP wants.

  Mind-boggling.

  Comment by saymyname — Saturday July 17, 2010 @ 9:55am PDT  Reply to this post

• which is another reason to…Merge!

  Comment by vuitton — Sunday July 18, 2010 @ 7:23pm PDT  Reply to this post

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  Comment by louis — Sunday July 18, 2010 @ 7:30pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Get us a “good deal” ? I’m sure the Joint Negotiating Committee is all ears.
  Go ahead. Lay it on them, Working Actor. Tell them exactly how to go about that.

  Comment by bailey — Wednesday July 21, 2010 @ 9:21pm PDT  Reply to this post

• A boaster and a liar are cousins-german.

  Comment by cheap ghd — Tuesday August 17, 2010 @ 6:46am PDT  Reply to this post

• You know these unions just suck! I had to turn down a big role in a million budget indie film. At the last min, Sag frustrated the producers for some reason, with all their BS. They also don’t do shit for actors if you don’t have a big name. I’ll work way more as a principle, without an overrated union status. Chances are i’ll never make a dent staying in the union. They are all about money. I’m about to take my SAG card and shove it down the toilet! I’M SICK OF BS ACTING UNIONS,THEY SHOULD ONLY EXIST FOR PRO EXTRAS!

  Comment by FUCK SAG — Tuesday September 28, 2010 @ 12:57pm PDT  Reply to this post

• The AFTRA originated residuals came from the fact that AFRA actors had to do two show a day (for the east and west coast time zone. AFTRA actors alway work for scale SAG actor always work above scale. Then in the radio days, Bing Crosby figured out he could tape one performance and still get paid twice. AFTRA actors worked the same amount of days for less money because in “live” TV they got paid a rehearsal rate. SAG actor always made much more money. SAG rates and residuals have alway paid more, because you don’t have rehearsal days rates like AFTRA.

  Comment by gossip girl season 4 episodes — Tuesday September 28, 2010 @ 2:53pm PDT  Reply to this post