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SUMMARY: Today it came to light that SAG asked AFTRA to delay asking its membership to ratify the new deal with the AMPTP until after SAG reaches a deal, too. But AFTRA refused and threatened legal action in an unnecesaarily nasty letter in response. Yeah this is really going nowhere fast: I say, if AFTRA wants its lousy deal with the AMPTP, then let its members either ratify it or vote it down. And believe me, it's a really lousy deal. (But note to AFTRA: don't pull that bullshit you did with the TV network code where a "yes" vote approves, but a "no" vote rejects and simultaneously authorizes the National Board to call a strike. That was disgustingly manipulative.)
Monday's big SAG Solidarity Rally to show support for the guild's TV/theatrical contract is going on as planned 10 am-noon at the Screen Actors Guild National Headquarters. (Validated parking will be provided in the lot behind the building.) And SAG is holding a Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday June 11th at 7 PM-9:30 PM for members to receive updates on the current status of the contract negotiations and participate in a question and answer session with SAG President Alan Rosenberg and National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen. It will be held at Harmony Gold Preview House, 7655 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles. (Bring SAG membership card paid thru May 2008 for admittance. Parents/guardians of SAG members under 18-years old may attend with the minor. Parking is available in rear and street parking. Below are today's statements:
From SAG's Doug Allen:
Los Angeles, Jun. 7, 2008 -- "Screen Actors Guild hand-delivered to AFTRA a written request on June 5, asking that AFTRA delay conducting a ratification vote in order to allow SAG the opportunity to successfully complete its negotiations.
“Screen Actors Guild also offered to propose to the AMPTP that any improvements Screen Actors Guild thereafter negotiates would be offered to AFTRA without further negotiation.
“SAG requested that AFTRA's national board, which met Friday and Saturday, respond to the request.
"We have received the response of AFTRA’s national board which declined to provide SAG with the opportunity to increase our leverage to further improve upon the tentative deal and to help ensure that actors get the best possible terms and conditions.
“SAG has completed our analysis of the AFTRA deal. We have discussed that analysis with our committee and elected leadership. We will be communicating the results of that analysis to our membership to inform SAG members about the potential impact of the AFTRA deal on our negotiations and consequently on our effort to secure the best possible contract for actors.
“We have put out a call to our membership to attend a solidarity rally to show support for their fellow actors, the Guild and the negotiating committee's efforts to ensure a fair contract for actors. The rally will take place at Screen Actors Guild national headquarters Monday, June 9, at 10 a.m."
---
Here was AFTRA's June 6th response:
"We are writing to confirm receipt of your letter dated June 5, 2008, and to assure you that it received full consideration by the AFTRA National Board.The AFTRA Board today overwhelmingly approved the tentative agreement we reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on May 28 regarding a new primetime television contract. Pursuant to the AFTRA constitution and bylaws, we will soon be sending the Exhibit A agreement to our members for ratification and we expect that results will be announced on or about July 7.
"In our view, delaying this process would not be in the best interest of our members. Nor do we believe there is anything about AFTRA’s ratification process that would “distract” either SAG or the industry from good faith negotiations, or in any way be “interfering” with the guild’s negotiations with the AMPTP. In any event, given our timeline, by the time the results of our ratification vote are announced, SAG will have been back at the table with the employers for more than five weeks. We believe this provides sufficient time to allow SAG and the AMPTP to focus on negotiations and hopefully reach a mutually satisfactory conclusion.
"We are reserving judgment about the accuracy of statements that SAG elected leaders and staff intend to undermine the merits of our members’ tentative agreement and disrupt our ratification process. Such unprecedented interference in the internal affairs of another union is the antithesis of good unionism. We expect that if SAG really is concerned about improving wages and working conditions for performers in the entertainment industry, its efforts and resources will be directed towards negotiating a
good agreement for SAG members, not to attempting to undo our efforts to serve AFTRA members. We hope it will not be necessary to pursue legal remedies, but be aware that we would view any attempt by SAG or its leadership to undermine or interfere with our ratification process as a violation of both the law and the AFL-CIO Constitution."Our Negotiating Committee and National Board members are extremely proud of the primetime agreement we reached with the AMPTP—under very trying circumstances. Like the agreements reached earlier this year by both the Directors Guild and the Writers Guild, our agreement was based on extensive research and reflected our recognition of the many challenges, technological and otherwise, our members and the industry face today. We are proud to have achieved major wage gains for “middle class” performers and to have preserved performers’ basic rights.
"The elected leadership and staff of AFTRA wish you well in your talks with the AMPTP. As everyone in the labor community recognizes, a victory for one union is a victory for all organized labor."
In solidarity,
Kim Roberts Hedgpeth Roberta Reardon
National Executive Director National President
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The dual card holders need to bitch slap these amateurs out of OUR business. How freakin’ stupid to not allow SAG to finish their negotiations and possibly add improvements to AFTRA’s contract – except if they want to sell out actors with their cheap ass deals to get jurisdiction. Thanks for nothing, AFTRA. I (and everyone else I know) is voting this crappy contract DOWN. People aren’t operating from fear as much as AFTRA thinks. We’ve had it.
Someone please clarify who SAG is negotiations with? Is it the AMPTP or AFTRA??? I know the battle lines have been drawn and there are many people on both sides, but no matter what side you are on…
You have to admit that SAG leadership is spending an enourmous amount of time (and now apparently money) waging a PR battle with AFTRA over which is the better actor’s union. Somehow I don’t see that as important right now. If they are concerned about the livliehood of actors shouldn’t they be spending every minute either talking to the AMPTP or strategizing what they are gong to say the next they meet with the AMPTP and leave AFTRA alone? If SAG doesn’t get focused real soon there will be only one union with working actors – and that will be AFTRA. SAG arrogantly boasts that they are the larger more powerfl actors union – Well if thats this case stop the petty bickering with the smaller union and put that power to good use and show everyone how to make a good deal.
On the tonight show Jay Leno has been opening his monologue about an actor’s strike for June 30th. Is there facts behind his statement? Jay has said this more than once on his show. Just wanted to pass this on.
Mr. Alan Rosenberg, President
Mr. Doug Alan, Chief Executive Officer,
Screen Actors Guild
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 91604
Dear Alan and Doug,
Let me preface this message with some back story. I served nearly twenty years on the SAG Board of Directors. I was the National Singer Chair for many of those years. I served as SAG National Recording Secretary under Barry Gordon. I have participated in dozens of negotiations over the last forty years: Theatrical/Primetime, Commercials, Industrial Non-Broadcast, Sound Recordings, Net Code (AFTRA Contracts), etc. I chaired the National W&W Network Code Negotiations about ten years ago for AFTRA in NYC & Los Angeles. I was, I believe, one of the very first among few members ever asked by SAG to speak directly in a presentation to the Producers during Theatrical Prime-Time negotiations to explain in more detail the work of singer contractors and singers nine years ago (I may be off a year or two). I have volunteered my time and efforts over the last forty years to the SAG Board, to the SAG organization, to the SAG Singers Steering Committees, to the SAG GGRC, to the AFTRA National and Local Boards, as an AFTRA National Trustee of the Health & Retirement Funds, as a Governor and Trustee of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, as a Trustee on the Board of SOS which approves grant requests from those in need, as a Director of the Frank Nelson Sick & Benefit Funds of AFTRA, and as a member of the Society of Composers & Lyricists.
My dues paid to Screen Actors Guild in the last few years have been JUST a few dollars under $4000 PER YEAR.
I am passionate about my work in film scoring. I have had the privilege of working with some of the most respected, successful and gifted composers of our time, and be assured
that without the underscore music which lifts, directs and often triggers the emotions that
the actors in the screen images aspire to evoke, many of our films in recent years with less distinguished casts would have fallen flat.
So I do not accept that my role in film-making as a singer is in any way as a second class citizen. I have put together vocals performed in 8 different languages. I have performed solos (KLUTE, DIRTY HARRY, BATMAN, SECRETS OF NIHM, A NEW LIFE, LOONEY TUNES:BACK IN ACTION and many others over the years). I feel compelled to tell you all this because as you may have noticed, singers do not ordinarily receive screen credits. I have held my SAG membership with great pride, and with equal pride have been honored to see my name on the stationary as a National Officer and as a member of Board of Directors of the organization. I have come before you in recent years on behalf of the Singer community of SAG to ask your help in implementing measures that have now proven effective in bringing work back into our jurisdiction and to our town. I am enormously grateful for the cooperation that you have extended.
So, you can only begin to imagine my outrage, my disappointment with my union SAG, under which today I do the bulk of my work, AND my anger as a member of the AFTRA National Board of Directors, when I was confronted with your blackmail letter, and the threat which followed, of SAG expenditures of $150,000 to defeat the recently negotiated AFTRA Contract.
At the risk of alienating myself from you, which I devoutly hope will not happen: How dare you take these actions against a sister union, and against YOUR members holding dual membership, entitled to vote on what they consider their best interest?
Never mind that this town could not survive another strike. Even my vet this morning while treating my injured dog was bemoaning the downswing and threat to his livelihood
from the current economic conditions. I too wish we had a fairer shake from producers on the DVDs. But I applaud AFTRA for accomplishing recognition of jurisdiction of New Media, and I look to our (both my unions) increases which will come through the next few years, I am confident. This is a foot in the door, just as in our National Sound Recordings Contracts, in which I served, we were able to get Digital Downloads added to the revenues for which we must now be paid for our work.
I just don’t understand the “mafia” mentality of the current SAG leadership and of Membership First. It is an embarrassment, and it only serves to decrease the stature of SAG. In every article, every headline I have read in the last few days, this fact is affirmed.
I ask you to please accept these sentiments from me as one long-attached to our business, MY business, which is primarily these days Film and Television. I am not looking to make enemies, but just to express my honest opinion as a long-time member and fellow volunteer /laborer in the fields from a community (which has a high working per capita but currently has NO voice in the SAG Board Room) that of the off- and on-camera freelance Session Singer.
I respect that we obviously differ. I emphasize that these sentiments do not only spring from my persona as an AFTRA Board Member, but from my disappointment in the shenanigans of the SAG Board members for about the last decade. I try hard not to be a visible political being. But this has gone too far.
Sally Stevens
SAG Member 00013407
In football a team doesn’t negotiate; it wins or loses. But unionism ain’t football. With unions it’s all about the negotiation. And for the current SAG Exec & Hollywood leadership to continue jousting with AFTRA on our dues-dime is wanking and stupid.
SAG, ignore AFTRA and get to it at the table. SAG shows will never become AFTRA shows and visa-versa. That’s not the game. The game is to secure workable contracts for each union, not a dong dangling contest.
Yeah, whatever. 90% of SAG’s membership does not even make their living via acting. Their primary source of income is generally outside of the film industry. They can easily sit out a long strike without negatively impacting their livelihood.
Personally, I am sick and tired of people, that for the most part are either hobbyists, or waiting to win the movie star lottery, screwing with my livelihood.
I just wish folks in both unions realize that such public scrapping between folks who are supposed to be on the same page is making it worse for everyone.
Any differences held by, and within, the unions should have been settled years before these negotiations. The failure of both unions to do so, pretty much handed their contracts over to the AMPTP.
If the Allens think we’re striking over 1.2 cents per DVD, they’re insane.
I am outraged at the behavior of SAG and AFTRA in the middle of what can only be called a crossroads in the future of the television and film industry. While my two unions publicly snipe at one another and threaten each other’s livlihood, the AMPTP smiles and smiles and smiles. If SAG and AFTRA blow this opportunity to reach a deal we can all live with…then both boards need to be tossed outon their collective asses and forced to return to making a living on the streets like the membership does. Get the deal done! WGA did it! GET THE DEAL DONE NOW!
Well, Captain Howdy, you’re welcome to get involved and do the hard, volunteer work of board members any time.
Meanwhile, the AFTRA deal makes significant improvements over the WGA/DGA deal, especially in the areas of New Media Jurisdiction. The project will be fully unon if ONE ‘covered performer’ meeting minimal experience criteria is hired. Remember, at this stage, jurisdiction is HUGE. SAG doesn’t even have THAT at this point, regardless of what legal position it reserves.
If SAG wanted to have control over the well-known practice in H’wood of pattern bargaining, SAG should have gone into negotiations a LOT earlier and exercised its significant leverage, rather than squandering it as it has in the depths of its arrogance.
Everyone touts the SAG gold-standard contract in cable. Remember, 50% of SAG’s dramatic series for basic cable are shot OUT OF THE COUNTRY. And it may be ‘SAG’ in Toronto, but only 3-4 top of the show stars, not dependent on SAG minimums, are covered…..everyone else is ACTRA or non-union.
So be careful what you wish for.
The AMPTP must be loving this. So much for ever getting a fair shake as far as new media goes. Because of all this inter-union bickering, our eyes have been taken off of the prize. Twenty years from now, when we lament how badly we’re being screwed in residuals from streaming and downloads, we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves…because we will have allowed it to happen. This isn’t about jurisdiction and whose is bigger…this is about people and their ability to make a living. Everyone involved in this pettiness should be ashamed of themselves.
it’s only breathtaking if you don’t have much breath.
The allen request wasn’t going anywhere and he knew it. Savage had blown the secret before he even sent the letter. This was the Allens plan all along.
They think a penny on DVD is worth a strike. They’re crazy.
SAG give it up already, negotiate the best contract you can and be done with it, are you really prepared to strike after the mess of the WGA strike, the american public WILL NOT stand by and idle while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
And where exactly are all the A-list actors in all of this bull? On the sidelines, of course, protecting their projects and, more importantly, their REVENUE STREAMS.
The FACT is that until I see the Jack Blacks, Brad Pitts, Angelinas, and Hanks, etc speaking out publicly, in front of the cameras where it can make a difference, and making it clear to the AMPTP that they will walk for their union, then all this is just a big fat Alan and Doug pose. And you know, something tells me that the A-listers are far too busy saving the planet to really give a s***. As they should be. Saving the planet takes money, and that is money they leverage against their careers, which, by all accounts, they ALL seem unwilling to put on the line for SAG. IN the meantime, what a joke!
Sally Stevens: This would be a good time for all of us to stop slandering the leaders of BOTH unions. Your characterization of S.A.G. officers as a “mafia” discredits you.
I could speculate on the agenda and the motives of our AFTRA leaders, but that would discredit me. I’m trying to focus on the facts.
It’s important for all of us to take a very careful look at the proposed AFTRA-AMPTP contract. We have to discuss this tentative agreement among ourselves. If there’s something we don’t understand, we should
contact AFTRA for clarification (see phone numbers below).
My unscientific sense is that most of us find this contract deficient, in ways that really matter to the quality of our lives.
What can we do?
AFTRA claims a little over 70,000 members, including “journalists, broadcasters, recording artists, and other talent.”
According to widely published figures, 44,000 AFTRA members are dual-card holding actors (about 63%). That seems to leave about 26,000 non-actor AFTRAns (about 37%).
If every single AFTRA non-actor votes FOR the tentative agreement, then 9,000 dual-card actors would also have to vote YES in order to achieve the 35,000+ votes needed for ratification. And I can’t believe that every non-actor will cast a vote. (I don’t see the actors’ contract having an immediate, direct impact on journalists or recording artists.)
In that case, we would need considerably FEWER than 35,000 dual-card holders to vote NO (44,000 minus 9,000).
So, with a lot of determined organizing and networking, we could REJECT this tentative agreement and compel our AFTRA negotiators to stand up and fight for a better contract.
Captain Howdy: If someone is “waiting to win the movie star lottery,” why would that someone vote IN FAVOR of a strike??? A strike means the “movie star lottery” is indefinitely suspended.
Similarly, why would a “hobbyist” vote FOR a strike if striking means that the “hobbyist” doesn’t get to practice his or her hobby.
Finally, Captain Howdy, your pseudonym is cute. If you had the courage of your convictions, though, you would sign your real name.
Dave Clennon
Relevant AFTRA contacts, for an explanation of the terms of the tentative AMPTP agreement:
323-634-8174 — Joan Halpern Weise
Weise is Assistant National Executive Director, Entertainment Programming – TV (including Cable and Infomercials)
You can convey your opinions of the deal at:
National Office – New York – 212/532-0800
National Office – Los Angeles – 323/634-8100
You think a mega million dollar star is going to strike for some maybe a penny deal? Not gonna happen. All the DVD revenue in the world won’t pay for one blown paycheck for them.
There is ZERO public support for an actors strike. Don’t even try it. The backlash will make your head spin.
SAG’s move to inform its members about the AFTRA deal is a reasonable and prudent measure to protect its members, as the two unions share the same employers and those employers will use AFTRA’s deal, which is far weaker than what SAG is likely to negotiate, as leverage to push down wages, residuals, benefits, and possibly clip use consent for SAG members on SAG shows. We have already seen examples of this in practice, and will see more of it.
As for AFTRA’s New Media “gains”, what the union ceded far outstrips whatever other “gains” AFTRA negotiators claim. The deal would give the moguls permission to hire non-union actors for PRINCIPAL roles in New Media productions up to $300k for a single production or $500k for a series. The most fundamental thing a union is supposed to do is to clearly define and vigorously protect union work. The proposed AFTRA deals fails to do even this. In practice, it would open the door wide for lower-budget non-unionized backdoor television pilots directly funded by the moguls. They know the Internet’s a great way to test out an idea. They’ve already cut deals to buy content originated in New Media to television, and they clearly want to get into that development business on the cheap for themselves. Otherwise, why would they have fought so hard for these “low-budget” exemptions???
I should add that offering a comparison to the WGA deal is problematic, as actors have a range of issues vital to them that writers, with respect, do not, including but not limited to image exploitation, clip use, and product integration.
For the reasons cited here and many others, the AFTRA deal is clearly not working in the best interests of its members, and must be voted down so that AFTRA negotiators can return to the table with a member mandate to fix these problems.
I’m a quad card holder, SAG/AFTRA/AEA and IATSE. I have never voted for any member of Membership First and it’s not just because their first poster girl, Valerie Harper deliberately, physically pushed me and several other SAG brothers and sisters out of the way at a rally during the 2000 commercials strike so she could glad hand the late, great Buddy Ebsen. So much for representing the entire membership Firsters.
To me Membership First is like George W. Bush, I didn’t vote for him but I’m stuck with him (only for 7 more months, thank goodness).
Most of us don’t work most of the time as actors in SAG. That is a fact.
But, that doesn’t mean that we’ll vote to strike. Every SAG member I know, working as an actor or not, works in a capacity that either impacts the industry or is impacted by it. No SAG member I know is willing to authorize a strike right now. The Writer’s strike cut us deep enough. Does anyone really believe that even a working background actor is going to stay and walk the line for long if there’s a strike. They don’t even have a real horse in this race since they don’t get residuals on DVDs or get paid for clip use.
I do think that the current SAG leadership is aware of the shaky ground they are on, and that’s why we haven’t seen a strike authorization ballot. They may very be afraid that they’d lose if they put one out. You don’t see many WGA members working as grips, drivers, etc., but a lot of working grips, drivers and other industry trades have SAG cards. Gee, would they vote to authorize a strike……. Even the ubiquitous actor/waiter might vote no since they lost a lot of income in tips from lack of customers during the writer’s strike.
Aside:
I also think if I hear the term Membership First has beat to death “Middle Class Actor” one more time I’m going to vomit. They parade it around like the majority of our membership makes enough acting or through residuals alone to be part of the middle class. It’s BS. Only a tiny minority of SAG’s members make enough in any one year to qualifiy as being middle class through acting alone. Show me a middle class actor, and I’ll bet 9.9 times out of 10 they earn most of their income from a day job or a sideline business. Historically, acting has never been a middle class profession so portraying it as such when for the majority of the last 3000 years actors have either been rich (the lucky few), dirt poor(the more common rabble), or seasonal volunteers is just stupid.
Thanks Nikki again for providing a forum where all of us can rant, no matter how we think.
That’s so right.
The real deal is that a SAG card should be printed with the unemployment office number right under the SAG logo.
Instead of fighting with AFTRA, SAG should be working to win back all the commercial work that went non union after the last disaster of a strike.
1.2 cents for DVDs. C’mon I would demand more in risuduals especially if I starred in the product. Honestly that’s not enough in my opinion. I would demand more than what was offered.
BTL Mom -
With respect, no strike authorization vote would be forthcoming until very near or after the expiration of the current contract on June 30. Any interpretation of the lack of a strike authorization vote as of this date – June 8 – as either a sign of strength of weakness is rather premature.
As someone who has no personal ax to grind I have to ask what to expect. Will there be a strike either in July or perhaps September or October. Also since the major studios are not starting big movie productions until a new contract is done how long will SAG be able to hold out. The waivers with Independent production companies will keep some work going but eventually the money just won’t be there without the major studios. What is the general feeling of SAG members. The WGA guys were very clear they wanted or were willing to strike. They had all the signs printed up and ready to go once their contract expired. Does SAG have a similar strategy set up with strike captains and organizers waiting in the wings.
So, most people, on the whole, are of the non-confrontational type. You would rather take whatever the AMPTP gives you, shut up and go on with your life. But don’t you believe sometime, somewhere, you need to say, “Hey, why am I the one always giving, this relationship sure is one sided”. I am sure those who want to roll over, are probably the same ones who do non-union work behind their Unions back. You just want to work right.? Nothing that is being ask by SAG is unreasonable, it could be over, just like that, if the producers would play, but they refuse, making it a game of, who’s on top of the Mountain. It is hard all around, but why should actors bear all the weight of a fallen entertainment economy.
SAG is not asking for a strike, they are being handed one, that makes everyone a loser. Including the Producers.
Well BTL Mom,
I respectfully disagree. There are a lot of us “middle class actors” out there. We work all the time if we are lucky, but I agree with you that the people overusing the term don’t really care about the middle class actor.
If they did, I can’t see how they would have started this war with aftra in a contract year, when it is the middle class actor, the actor who does not have a day job or other profession but is not a highly paid star, it is the middle class actor that will be hurt the most by another strike. Or by a contract that is weakened from having been negotiated by Aftra first.
There are a lot of us in the union, you may only see stars or part time actors but believe me there are thousands of us, and this leadership has yet to convince me or my actor friends that they actually do care about the middle class actor as much as they hate Aftra. I wish there actions matched their empty promises.
both allen rosenberg and doug allen obviously can’t negotiate or they would do it already….this way they can blame AFTRA for thier deal. AFTRA negotiated like adults, got results and went on with business. how can these two idiots ask AFTRA to violate it’s constitution…??? because they (Allen and Dumber) knew perfectly well that the “request” would be denied.
I don’t know what their (Allen and Dumber) agenda is but they have consistently been focused on destroying AFTRA since last fall…we all know that.
i am SAG and AFTRA but the bulk of my work is SAG…AND I SAY GET RID OF THE BUMS (Hollywood SAG board is a bunch of anti union thugs)
i hope the membership wakes up to this crap they (SAG Hollywood) is pulling.
Note to SAG: Stop spending what little time you have left before the June 30th deadline worrying about AFTRA and FOCUS ON YOUR OWN NEGOTIATIONS!
This town is dying! Between the WGA strike, the recession and the threat of a SAG strike…this town is going into the toilet! Tons of talented below the line pros are going bankrupt, losing their homes and losing their health insurance.
ENOUGH!
Signed,
A longtime member of SAG & AFTRA (who has made health and pension every year..but won’t this year), married to a Below-The-Line crew member (BOTH currently UNEMPLOYED!)
mheister,
During the WGA situation, the Strike Authorization Vote was called at the beginning of October, and ballots were sent out on October 1. It took until October 19th to get back the official results and publicize them. If SAG waits all the way into July to conduct this vote, they won’t know until two or three weeks later whether they are able to go out or not. Seems to me that if they’re serious about being prepared to go out, they would conduct the vote as soon as possible. There’s literally only 21 days left to the contract, which leaves very little time to do this.
I understand there is a lot of concern about holding this vote, as it’s not a given that the authorization would pass. And once a vote like that is held, it will be a signal to the rest of the industry that would not only polarize the producers, but would also cause alarm for the below the line crew still recovering from the last work stoppage. The fact that the vote hasn’t been held gives me hope that a contract can still be negotiated – a contract that SAG can accept.
Cassie,
Sorry for your troubles, but our responsibility is to our members, not “the town,” and we are not going to put our members in second position to anybody else. We are not going to take a substandard contract like the WGA did.
Sincerely,
SAG
SAG
If you are really a spokesperson and I highly doubt you are
Take this message. Get your asses back to the negoiation table instead of teying to undo AFTRA, they did their jobs, now you do yours
Secondaly, How dare you talk down the WGA. If the WGA hadnt come to terms on a deal you would have no writers which means that Primetime TV and Films (all categories) would not be in production at the moment. There would have been no pilot season.
Stop sounding ignorant
I understand you want the moon and the stars but you should have gone in there willing to accept the WGA deal. Its gopod enough for them, its good enough for you
No writers= no actors and no productions think about that one
Someone calling himself “John” responded to an actor with, I understand you want the moon and the stars but you should have gone in there willing to accept the WGA deal. Its gopod enough for them, its good enough for you.
Except there’s no such thing as the “WGA deal,” just the DGA deal with some air freshener sprayed on it to mask the stench and some Raid to kill the circling flies.
And just to be clear, the 2008 MBA is by no means “good enough for” writers, no matter what percentage of voting WGA members ratified it.
(But even if it were, it doesn’t follow that it would also be a good deal, necessarily, for actors.)
Well, Sam, when all the work goes to Canada (like in the (90’s) and other places, you and the other members that care only about yourselves and not “the town” (meaning the people that do your hair, make-up, light you, film your coverage, drive you around the lot, etc. etc. etc.) can all get together and talk about the “great” contract you made while standing in the unemployment line.
I am SAG, I am AFTRA. But I care about everyone that works in this town. Because one person alone does not make a film or TV show, it takes hundreds.
This town strikes for an extended period of time, after the WGA strike and during a recession…everything will start filming in other places…
Hey John and “Anonymous,” I care about everyone else working in this industry, too. (Let’s face it, actors are probably THE most empathetic people in town.) But we can’t let our concern for our co-workers be a consideration at the negotiating table. We cannot let the producers think they can stick us with a 17-day “promotional” window, for example — which we will have to live with forever — in exchange for getting our friends in construction, hair and makeup back on the job a couple of days earlier.
If this town goes out of work for an extended period again this year, it’ll be because the PRODUCERS WON’T COME TO TERMS. Like Sam/SAG said, we can’t let ourselves get screwed like the writers.
All Im saying is that if the writers hadnt come to a deal then you would have no programming on TV or Film. WGA deserves the best deal and ten the actors etc because if not for the writers there is no need fgor the actors
So SAG get back to the table and stop deflecting your poor choices like taking a three week break in May on AFTRA.
They did their job. Do yours.
Also this whole anti-AFTRA rally will blow up in Alan Rosenberg and Doug Allen’s faces
I hope they lose their positions at SAG because of this. These two individuals are giving SAG a bad name
Please, please, come to your senses and come to an agreement – ASAP!
I realize this is an actor issue, but what everyone is failing to realize is that it also effects other production departments that RELY on working to support their families or businesses.
The first strike put families and businesses in financial strain if not, bankruptcy. Please stop doing this to your fellow production crew members.
We need to work to provide for our families and pay our bills.
I am currently working on Transformers 2 and cannot afford production to come to a stand still because of another strike.
Please consider the other people involved and come to an agreement ASAP!