Los Angeles, (July 24, 2010) – Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors, meeting in a one-day video plenary in Los Angeles and New York, named Bob Bergen National Chair of the 2010 Television Animation and Basic Cable Animation Negotiating Committee. Pursuant to Screen Actors Guild policy, the members of negotiating committees are confidential and their names will not be released. Negotiations for a successor agreement to this contract are scheduled to begin September 27, 2010.

In other business, National President Ken Howard reported to the Board regarding the formation of The Presidents’ Forum for One Union – a joint platform with American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to facilitate development of a process that can lead SAG and AFTRA to form one autonomous union.

Screen Actors Guild’s contingent to The Presidents’ Forum will consist of six SAG members including President Howard as Chair, Secretary-Treasurer Amy Aquino, and four additional members selected from the Guild’s SAG/AFTRA Relations Task Force. The Forum will include a similar group designated by AFTRA.

President Howard said, “This is a positive step toward uniting SAG and AFTRA and good news for our members. The creation of a single performers’ union is overdue, and I’m pleased to be working with Roberta Reardon, who’s been such a champion of that goal.”

The National Board received additional reports including:

National President’s Report
President Howard reported on the very successful and collegial joint Wages and Working Conditions meetings conducted with AFTRA. President Howard attended Wages and Working Conditions meetings in various cities across the country and today commended the hard work and dedication of all Screen Actors Guild members and staff. He further stressed the productive and positive partnership with AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon and the AFTRA team during the joint Wages and Working Conditions process.

Secretary Treasurer’s Report
Secretary-Treasurer Amy Aquino delivered a report on the Guild’s 2010 Year End financials noting better than expected results from the Guild’s expense management program and significantly improved income from investments. Aquino reported a surplus of $329,000 for fiscal year 2010.

Aquino recognized SAG Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto and her Finance team for their efforts in streamlining the Guild’s financial operations. Aquino credited the SAG Finance Committee and SAG National Executive Director David White’s strategic expense reduction and resource maximization programs for the better than anticipated performance saying, “Early in 2009, David White identified a series of financial concerns amounting to a potential deficit of several million dollars. David’s and the executive team’s quick action to improve SAG’s financial management and to streamline operations resulted in meaningful expense reductions and an even more stable fiscal position.”

The Board also received an unqualified opinion with respect to the audit conducted by the Guild’s accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

National Executive Director’s Report
National Executive Director David White commended the hard work of Guild members and staff during the Wages and Working Conditions process and drew particular notice to the effective collaboration of SAG and AFTRA leadership, committee members and staff throughout the process.

White also updated the Board on the successful expense reduction efforts still underway and reported that the organizing team is implementing new campaigns in specific production genres.

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