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UPDATE, 8:56 AM FRIDAY: Today’s press conference will be live-streamed at sagaftra.org.
PREVIOUS, WEDNESDAY PM: SAG national president Ken Howard, AFTRA national president Roberta Reardon, SAG secretary-treasurer Amy Aquino, AFTRA treasurer Matt Kimbrough, SAG 1st national VP Ned Vaughn, AFTRA 2nd national VP Gabrielle Carteris, SAG 2nd national VP Mike Hodge, AFTRA national executive director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth and SAG national executive director David White will be in attendance to answer questions. The briefing is set for 1 PM PT in the James Cagney Boardroom of SAG’s Hollywood headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard.
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Obviously, we are merging. Why else the “announcement”/grandstanding with Q&A.
Maybe I am naieve but ballots aren’t even due till Friday. How can they already know a merger is imminent?
“Ballots must be received at the assigned post office box no later than 10 a.m. PDT, March 30″
What’s shady is that usually ballots just need to be postmarked by a specific date, this isn’t the case with the merger vote.
It is that way with Academy and SAG Awards also.
Ballot has to be there at a certain no later than time.
What an absurd comment. ALL balloting has a deadline, after which results are tabulated and announced. There is no other way to do it. You are really working overtime to find something “shady” in this. And the independent accounting firm can be tabulating as ballots are received, so announcing results a few hours after the deadline is not the least bit suspicious either. All SAG elections, merger votes, strike votes, etc. have been announced within hours of the posted deadline since I joined in 1977.
That is simply NO TRUE!! It takes ALL DAY to Open, Sort, Process, and Count the Votes in EVERY SAG Board Election!! And, I am sure in took even LONGER in 1977, when you first joined!!
They did that the last time as well- but ended up with egg on their face when they lost. I think Melissa even cried. We shall see.
It would be FUN to see Ken Howard CRY!! However, I am afraid that it has passed, so we must ALL just Move Forward NOW!
That’s an excellent point. If ballots are due back until Friday, then how can they justify calling a conference announcing that they are merging?
No one is allowed to observe the vote count from either side. What is that about? Have much to hide SAG and AFTRA like maybe you are messing with the votes!
It has been reported that the group as mentioned above are scheduled to fly to Seattle (on our union dime) to “oversee” the vote counting but no opposition members will be allowed present during the process. Either way, just 3 hours after they are due in the post office in Everett Wa, you cannot have counted 190,000 voter cards and reported the results!
I’m our SAG pres. is taking the time away from his aftra acting jobs to attend to this at all.
The takeover of SAG by aftra is near complete! RIP SAG – 1933-2012.
The takeover of SAG by AFL/CIO (aftra) is near complete!
Fixed it for you.
Once the AFL/CIO takes gets ahold in SAG, the entire media will be controlled like despots and tyrants have never before ever dreamed was possible.
Do you really believe there are 190,000 voter cards to count?
I agree…SAG as an entity is gone. RIP indeed.
Is this overconfidence or shenanigans?
How is it possible to “announce the results” a a press conference 3 HOURS AFTER THE BALLOTS ARE DUE???!!!!
The hubris of this leadership ( I use the term loosely) is remarkable!
The company that counts the votes uses ballot counting machines somewhat similar to what tallies up SCANTRON
(remember those tests you took back in school?)
Please RE-READ the headline. “Voting Results” to be announced. No one is flying to Seattle. The envelope opening and ballot scanning/counting is all done by machines, which is why it can be done so quickly, with no opportunity to tamper. DONE ALL THE TIME in union/corporate/award show elections.
The response to this merger campaign has been overwhelmingly supportive. Members KNOW this is the best move they can make for the future of their careers, and that of future actors, broadcasters & recording artists.
The good news is all the skeptics will benefits as well, if this is successful. Let’s get moving Organizing New Job Opportunities….and stop fighting each other.
I can’t wait for a productive future!!! I voted YES!!
I think the machines should be watched remember HAL!
Besides what is the harm if SAG or AFTRA members want to go observe on their own dime?
Only people who have something to hide would have issues with that!
still time for me to walk in off the street and join aftra and become a member of sag
There is NO WAY to count the Votes that FAST!!! NO WAY!! I don’t care if they are using a Count Machine!! The ONLY way to make an Announcement that FAST, is if you have ALREADY been counting the “Votes” as they came in to the Post Office Box!!!
I guess this is the END of an ACTOR’S Union!!
And why wouldn’t the independent company have been counting as the ballots came in? Or every couple of days? Or opening the envelopes and stacking the ballots readying them to be inserted into the machine for counting? You’re allusions to conspiracy are absurd…. If your conspiracy theory held any water, why didn’t those dastardly conspirers work their magic the last several times the unions have proposed mergers?
If you actually work in this business, you want this to happen. I lost my health insurance this past year cuz my earnings were split between both unions. The $1254 monthly COBRA payment is killing me. This separation is ridiculous. If we don’t merge, SAG will go bankrupt. Hopefully those with common sense rule the day. Take the best from both unions and move forward.
Kevin, have you read anything about this merger beyond the spin? Your earning will continue being split in this new “Union.” It will be harder to qualify for insurance in this new union, and you will continue to pay COBRA until you go broke. You’ve been HAD.
why aren’t the votes being counted by the NLRB as with all other union mergers
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Could it be the vote is rigged? Why else would they announce it so fast?
Obviously allowing members to vote is just lip service. Membership on the AFTRA site was closed by Thursday, March 28. It isn’t possible to accurately count ballots overnight. Sounds as if they’ve made this decision among themselves and members have already lost their voice!
No observers at the counting is shady…so there…
Kevin,
Unfortunately, your earnings are going to continue to be split
at least for the next 2 years and possibly longer.
You watch and see.
“The” Alan Ruck? I’m a big fan if that is true. And you were fantastic in the Ayckbourn play on Broadway a few years back.
The health plan stuff is still a question (as I stated to Simon above), but what is the alternative? You are a star, so issues such as earning health insurance, will never be an problem for you. I don’t understand how anyone working doesn’t see that the merger of two competing unions won’t make us stronger. With a half hour till the result is announced it’s a bit of a moot discussion. It will play out how it plays out.