ITV Pays $30M For Controlling Stake In ‘Hatfields … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Anchorman 2′ 
2ND UPDATE: Charlie Sheen Fired Selma Blair From … 
Time Warner Cable Sued For Passing Lakers-Dodgers Costs On … 
Jonah Hill Signs For Management With LBI 
TOLDJA! ‘Dumb And Dumber To’ Proves No-Brainer … 
Salma Hayek’s Animated Passion Project ‘The … 
Relativity Moves Scott Cooper’s ‘Out Of The … 
Hot Trailer: ‘The Lego Movie’ 
Comedy ‘I Didn’t Do It’ Gets Series Order … 
Liv Tyler To Co-Star In Damon Lindelof’s HBO Pilot … 
DreamWorks Animation Launches Effort To Re-Position Itself … 
‘Pacific Rim’ Sequel In Planning Stages, … 
Legendary “Down To Handful” Of Studio Suitors: … 
UPDATE: Dan Harmon Apologizes For Comments Slamming … 
Deadline Expands: Hires Washington Post Journalist Lisa De … 
MGM & BermanBraun Sign TV Production Deal, First-Look … 
EMMYS: ‘Big Bang Theory’s Science 
‘Client List’ Season 3 Pickup In Limbo Over … 
Amazon Orders Cop Drama Pilot Based On Michael … 
Lionsgate Acquires Pulitzer Prize Winner ‘Devil In … 
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK (August 29, 2011) —- Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists continued formal discussions this weekend between the AFTRA New Union Committee and the SAG Merger Task Force to facilitate the creation of one union to represent all members of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA.
Meeting together as the Group for One Union, or G1, members and staff of both unions held meetings Saturday through Monday by video and teleconference between New York and Los Angeles. Originally scheduled as face-to-face meetings in New York, members and staff were cautioned not to travel due to the impending landfall of Hurricane Irene in New York and elsewhere along the East Coast. Both unions quickly implemented a contingency plan, however, to ensure the safety of all participants and continue the meetings as scheduled.
The G1, comprised of members including actors, performers, recording artists and broadcast professionals, received a presentation from its Member Education & Outreach Workgroup, and reviewed and discussed findings and recommendations of its Governance & Structure Workgroup. These and four other member-led workgroups have been holding discussions since they were created by the G1 at its inaugural meeting in Silver Spring, MD, June 19 -21.
“If anyone doubted our commitment to merger, what happened this weekend should put those doubts to rest – even a hurricane couldn’t stop us,” said SAG National President Ken Howard. “We covered a lot of ground and I’m so proud of our SAG and AFTRA team. It’s a challenging task, but we’re working extremely well together and I’m more confident than ever that we will get this done for the members.”
“We made important progress this weekend,” said AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon. “We examined the myriad strategies, approaches and structures to create a strong, new union that will further empower our members to strengthen their careers and secure their future. I thank everyone involved for their continued solidarity and deeply appreciate their patience and resilience as we worked through the challenges of Hurricane Irene.”
The weekend meetings were facilitated by Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations Professor Susan J. Schurman, and noted labor consultant Peter S. DiCicco. The next meeting of the Group for One Union is scheduled for October 14 – 18 in Los Angeles.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
The G1, comprised of members including actors, performers, recording artists and broadcast professionals, received a presentation-
Hopefully they’re discussing how to deal with having TV newscasters and dancers vote on acting contracts.
Susan Flannery has been a real pain in the ass about getting this done, but it looks like it was worth it!
Glad to see that we’re moving closer and closer to a merger referendum. I was sick and tired of all the childish fighting between SAG and AFTRA. What a colossal waste of time, money and dignity for professional performers. The stupid rivalry of actors opposing themselves in a different union for the same exact work never made sense.
Thank goodness the adults took the reins and that we’re looking at a merger referendum in the next six months. I look forward to see what this merger group has come up with and to learning as much as possible about the proposal for the merged union when this committee’s work is done.
Unfortunately, I can already hear the nay-sayers already attacking the proposal with the fear-mongering cries of 2003, “We’re also for merger! Just not this merger…” Not this time.
Performers can’t afford to be divided into multiple unions and won’t stand for any more silly infighting.
Much thanks to all the people who are working on this merger, regardless of their political affiliations. Your union brothers and sisters are in your debt. Now make this happen!
The preceding was a paid political announcement. If this had been an actual comment, you would have been instructed where to tune for information on how gullible people are able to survive without critical thinking skills.
In debt LITERALLY. Way to go aftra.
Thank God some are working FOR the members instead of for their own egos!
now they can get twice as fucked by producers come contract time!
“If anyone doubted our commitment to merger, what happened this weekend should put those doubts to rest – even a hurricane couldn’t stop us,” said SAG National President Ken Howard.”
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind about your determination to destroy SAG. You are a Trojan Horse DISGRACE, Ken Howard.
Simon, the predecessor to Mr. Howard did more to destroy your idea of SAG than anyone else. He helped push the ratio of prime time SAG/AFTRA contracts from 90%/10% to its current ration of 10%/90%. Our pension/ health is now on a downward spiral. That is a reality. Even if you were against merger back then you’d be a fool to be against it now — unless, that is, you don’t really work and are holding onto some nostalgic idea of what your SAG card means.
Even previous no-merger stalwart Ed Asner is involved with the new Marc Maron AFTRA pilot. If we don’t change with the times we’ll die.
And to other fear-mongering post-er, there is no reason that newscasters should be voting on acting contracts and vice versa. That should and most probably will be in the new union bylaws. I’ve been in both unions for 18 years and it is plain dumb to be split. The producers get us to negotiate against ourselves, for crying out loud. Strength in numbers, baby.
“I’ve been in both unions for 18 years and it is plain dumb to be split.” And Kevin, wouldn’t you rather be part of a single union that will always fight for actors’ rights and fair pay? If you’ve been in AFTRA for 18 years, you know damn well that’s not what AFTRA does.
Further, the producers (AMPTP) didn’t get us to negotiate against ourselves, AFTRA did. The AMPTP just added fuel to the fire and laughed while we danced to their tune. But make no mistake, AFTRA hired the band.
This is all nothing short of propaganda.
In SAG’s bi-monthly (?) trade magazine, “Actor”, every single one of SAG’s leaders who has their own column talked about AFTRA. Praising AFTRA, FFS! It’s all they talk about! As if “merging” with AFTRA is the only cure for the mess that AFTRA created for SAG. “Sister Union”, my ass.
There is another “cure” for actors: the other, not-talked-about option for SAG members would be to (HELLO!) file to have AFTRA de-certified for recorded performances (as their guild certification states), thereby allowing all actors to be under one guild’s roof. (There’s no “T” in AFRA.)
And isn’t that what all actors want?
Yes. Yes it is. And it’s simple to do. But the current SAG leadership (AFTRA members) who are intentionally running SAG into the ground right now won’t do it.
Should all actors be under one guild? Absolutely. Should actors have anything whatsoever to do with AFTRA? Absolutely not.
If only you lived in reality, Ace. You obviously don’t earn your living as an actor.
And neither will anyone else.
Oooooooohhhhh… ZING!
QFT
Easiest way to get all actors under one roof: turn in your AFTRA cards…no initiation fee to come to SAG. Result…all screen/tv actors in one union, SAG, and all broadcasters and non unionists in the other supposed Union. It’s easy enough…But as soon as the papers are signed, SAG, as we now know it, vanishes along with the other supposed union. The new one…no name announced yet…will be one second old and all bets with AMPTP are off, all contracts dead and new “negotiations”, which will last several years, will begin.
The preceding was a paid political announcement. If it had been an actual comment, you would have been instructed where to tune for an explaination of how the gullible get through life without critical thinking skills.
My apologies for the error, Ace – those comments were meant as a reply to the self-proclaimed “Union Actor.” For the record, I think your idea makes a lot of sense, particularly considering the actions of the NFLPA in their labor dispute earlier this year.
From 10 years ago I still remember like it was yesterday my first Rutger Hauer moment: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.” Even though it was just an acting class, two young actors had just breathed unbelievable life and form into what was clearly bad writing on my part. So much so I just sat there stunned in awe at what I had just witnessed.
So a couple of years ago when I saw a well known tool spoofing an actor who lost it on a set, a tool who “supposedly” taught acting but was apparently devoid of what it took for gifted actors to deliver Oscar winning performances, my first reaction wasn’t fit for print. What calmed me down and brought a smile to my face was the George Bernard Shaw line: “He who can, does, he who cannot, teaches.”
Which brings me to the “industry friendly” actors currently in charge of SAG and AFTRA, and their Gollum types who have posted above. I get a nobody like Reardon rising up the AFTRA ranks by doing the industry bidding, but you are not a hack Mr. Howard. Not as an actor and not as human being. There is still time for you to reverse course, and in so doing the many who think the only way forward is dumb downed on their hands and knees, will rise up and demand what is rightfully and uniquely theirs.
I was wondering where the remains of the Membership First group were hanging out — here they are! Snarking about traitors and trojan horses is pointless and childish. The ship has sailed. Even a smidgen of understanding of the economics of the entertainment industry and the history of the SAG-AFTRA controversy would lead anyone to conclude that a well-crafted merger is essential. Sure there are many issues to contend with; these are large and complex organizations. But with a calm, rational, businesslike approach we can emerge a year from now with a stronger new union. Yep, a new union. I look forward to reading the plan when it is announced in January.
Honestly, it doesn’t matter if actors have one union, or two as long as the leadership remains incapable of negotiating a contract that actually employs union members and keeps producers from using non-union actors, animals, puppets and girlfriends. I don’t know one actor who has ever gotten a job because someone at the sag office made a phone call, but I know tons of actors who have lost their lives and are totally broke and starving because they are loyal sag members. Kevin might be drinking the koolaid, thinking there is stength in numbers, but that only pertains to war. Sag needs to learn how to get along and get deals done in this town in order to get members working and I can assure you, a merger will not solve that problem. Both unions really have become nothing more than a personal piggy bank and a good paying career for employees while union paying members continue to wonder why everyone hates them and refuses to hire them for anything. Me3rge talks do nothing but pay those talking while actors sit and wait and remain unemployed. “I think we have a problem here, don’t we?”
Yes, yes we do.
Ned Vaughn, Amy Aquino, Ken Howard, Mike Hodge and Co. sabotaged SAG, got control of SAG, colluded with AFTRA to have SAG TV earnings given to AFTRA and now you want me to vote for their idiot agenda because the “Ship has sailed?” I will not vote for this B.S. merger. If it was good for me, they wouldn’t have to sell it so hard. The fact is SAG merging with AFTRA stinks. It’s the worse of two options. The harder road is to regain control of SAG, and build one UNION for actors called S.A.G. The entire UFS slate needs to be kicked out of the actors union, have their pensions stripped, their titles revoked, and their names blotted out. UFS is organized crime. Where’s a good Attorney General when you need him? The corruption going on now at SAG/AFTRA is as bad as any corruption in union history.
Hey, Simon. Prove what you say. Until you can, talk is cheap.
FACT: Ned Vaughn/UFS sabotaged SAG’s negotiating position with AMPTP during the DVD/New Media contract talks.
FACT: UFS fired Doug Allen using highly controversial (possibly illegal) Written Assent and used producer star power/funding such as Tom Hanks/George Cloony to get elected.
FACT: Under Ken Howard/Amy Aquino/Ned Vaughn etc … nearly all TV work went to AFTRA (costing SAG actors 100 million dollars and counting) and these elected leaders didn’t challenge (and still won’t challenge) the absurd notion that “method of capture” gives legal right to AFTRA to encroach on SAG territory.
FACT: Pretender to the SAG Presidency Ken Howard congratulated Ned Vaughn on his brilliant “strategy” on making SAG actors willing to merge with AFTRA.
FACT: The puppet Ken Howard and his UFS crooks have been working for nothing substantial other than merger with AFTRA since taking office.
FACT: AFTRA is a management tool, not an actors’ union.
I’ll add a couple:
FACT: AFTRA fabricated a reason to separate from SAG during negotiations, making it seem that SAG was stealing work from AFTRA;
FACT: when SAG leadership told everyone “Sign the contract and go back to work immediately”, there was no work to go back to – and they all knew it.
FACT: Tom Hanks is more of a producer than actor, therefore his (and other celebrity actor/producers) urging SAG members to sign that contract was self-serving, not supporting his union.
And let’s not forget how NY SAG (AFTRA people, really) pulled the rug out from under our negotiators right before we were to vote on a strike authorization, which would have given us much needed power at the negotiating table.
Is this all past history? Yes – it’s the history of UFS, – “Unite For Strength” – the group which is currently letting SAG fail to make a merger necessary. A merger is NOT necessary. How about this: how about DAFS – “De-certify AFTRA For Strength”? UFS has done nothing but weaken SAG for AFTRA’s benefit.
“AFTRA is a management tool, not an actors’ union.” Love it!
Ball’s in your court, Shaun.
Ace and Simon have interesting points !!