Comments (3)

• WAKE UP SAG MEMBERS! The U4S moderate majority might make peace with management and other unions, but will that peace show up in your pocket? It’s hard enough to earn a living as an actor to begin with, and now, U4S basically wants to go along to get along with management which means residuals come out of our pockets since shows barely re-run on network because they are running for free on all the dot-com sites.
  Membership First and ANNE-MARIE JOHNSON have shown a toughness and a willingness to fight for us. This scares some people. Why, I don’t know, because personally, I want all the help i can muster to have our contracts benefit the actor, not the producer.
  U4S and AFTRA are so willing to give everything away just to ‘keep us working’… let’s be honest: Are you working any more than you did before the signing of this new contract? Are you making any more money? Are you qualifying faster for your benefits because of all the gains they made for us in these new areas of media? If you are, then vote for the U4S team. But if you’re not, and I really have a hard time believing you are, then vote for the folks who have been and will continue fighting to preserve our incomes and our rights as actors. VOTE for ANNE-MARIE JOHNSON, CONNIE STEVENS and MEMBERSHIP FIRST.

  Comment by mgreyman — September 10, 2009 @ 9:28 am  Reply to this post

• The reason why AFTRA is after putting down Anne-Marie is because she and MembershipFirst are a threat to AFTRA’s takeover of SAG and the future viability of AFTRA. Without stealing projects from SAG, AFTRA doesn’t have enough financial stability with its health and pension, so it is doing everything it can to hurt MembershipFirst. AFTRA doesn’t care about actors, just actors’ money.

  If Anne-Marie is voted in, you can be assured that this SAG/AFTRA issue will be resolved once and for all in some form or fashion that will benefit actors — and that will NOT be a merger. There may be some type of jurisdictional legality brought up that will show that having two unions do not benefit its members and is actually hurting them; then there may be court action and a referendum by the members that all actor performers be represented only by SAG; and then that will be the end of it. AFTRA and the producers will be flaming mad and fighting tooth and nail, but the fact remains that SAG truly represents actors and allows actors to strike if needed and to fully negotiate and vote on its own behalf. We are asking for real representation and autonomy. AFTRA has stolen our autonomy.

  If Ken Howard is voted in, a merger will be attempted. If the merger succeeds, actors’ power will be forever diminished; residuals will disappear; and the middle class actor will cease to exist; quotes will continue to erode; and we will never be able to strike again or vote down contracts because DJ’s and news people won’t allow it to happen. If the merger doesn’t succeed, then what? Another mess, wasted money, and a rollover mentality with AFTRA will still prevail.

  Only the ignorant and desperate actor would vote for Ken. Unfortunately, there are far too many ignorant and desperate actors who don’t realize they are also responsible for the biz part of show. The one point in Anne-Marie’s favor for these actors is that most actors aren’t happy with the U4S contract and aren’t back to work. So, I guess we’ll find out the night of 9/24.

  Comment by Working Actor — September 10, 2009 @ 12:11 pm  Reply to this post

• I recently met Ms. Johnson last week at the AFL CIO HATIONAL CONVENTION in Pittsburg Pa. As I sat across from her we conversed when we could. Although I very was aware of her acomplishments in television and movies it was not the focus of our discussions it was her dedication to her union (SAG) that impressed me. It was apparent that she’s a dedicated labor warrior and on top of her game, she definitely has her fellow union members concerns at heart. There’s no doubt in my mind that she is highly qualified and ready to lead the Screen Actors guild in any upcoming and future negotiations. I’ve spent over 30 years in the labor field I know ” TALENT ” when I see it. SAG members would be doing themselves a disservice by not
  electing her as their president!
  Rick Harris – AMALGAMATED TRANSIT UNION

  Comment by Rick Harris — September 20, 2009 @ 8:43 pm  Reply to this post