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SAG-AFTRA Sued For Witholding Foreign Residuals And Rewarding Officials; UPDATE: Union Says “Without Merit”

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Saturday May 25, 2013 @ 10:48am PDTTags: Big Deals TV, Ed Asner, Lawsuit, SAG AFTRA

SATURDAY UPDATE, 10:48 AM: The union says that it will “vigorously respond in the appropriate forum in due course” to the suit filed Friday by former SAG president Ed Asner and others over $110 million in undistributed residuals and royalties. Claiming that they are “proud” and “confident” in their foreign royalties program, SAG-AFTRA admit they haven’t actually seen the filing itself. Still, based on previous correspondence with the plaintiffs, the union calls the claims “completely without merit.” Read statement here:

We are very proud of, and confident in, our unclaimed residuals and foreign royalties programs which distribute millions of dollars to performers every year. The foreign royalties program has successfully distributed to performers more than $14 million — money that would otherwise go uncollected and be lost to them forever. The foreign royalties program was previously subject to a class action lawsuit that resulted in a resolution favorable to the union after intense scrutiny of the program. While we have not been provided with a copy of the current complaint, the claims as presented in the plaintiff’s earlier correspondence have been thoroughly reviewed and are completely without merit. We will vigorously respond in the appropriate forum in due course.

PREVIOUS FRIDAY PM: Actors Ed Asner, Clancy Brown, Dennis Hayden, and George Coe are among the 15 plaintiffs who filed suit today in federal court against SAG-AFTRA for not properly disbursing $110 million in foreign residuals they say have not been paid out. Asner is the former SAG president (1981-1985) who very publicly opposed the SAG-AFTRA merger along with other ex-union board members. The 52-page filing (read it here) also claims that the merged union has deliberately withheld information and kept the money in trust and spent portions on first class travel and lavish parties and big salaries for current union officials. “Plaintiffs have reason to believe that SAG-AFTRA has now amassed a substantial slush fund that does not belong to the labor organization but instead belongs to members and non-members, and/or their estates, on covered and uncovered works,” says Friday’s filing. Requesting a jury trial, the plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages as well as injunctive relief and an order by the court that would stop the union from being able to collect overseas royalties. Instead, the suit proposes a separate “independent body” established to handle the funds in the future. READ MORE »

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Ed Asner Returning To ‘Hawaii Five-0′

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday July 13, 2012 @ 4:07pm PDTTags: Ed Asner, Grace, Hawaii-Five 0

EXCLUSIVE: Ed Asner is reprising his role (again) on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0, playing August March on the cop drama. He originated the role in a 1975 appearance in the first incarnation of the series and returned last … Read More »

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Ed Asner To Reprise Role From Original ‘Hawaii Five-0′ In The Series’ CBS Reboot

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday December 8, 2011 @ 11:50am PSTTags: CBS, Ed Asner, Hawaii Five-0
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Ed Asner is upgrading his status on Hawaii Five-0 from a guest star to recurring. In a very unusual series guest arc spanning 36 years, the multiple Emmy winner will guest star on CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot in the … Read More »

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TV CASTINGS: Ed Asner To USA’s ‘Royal Pains,’ Meagan Good To ‘Californication’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday April 29, 2011 @ 11:30am PDTTags: Californication, Ed Asner, Royal Pains, TV Casting
Nellie Andreeva

Last season, USA Network’s flagship series Royal Pains introduced Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) and Evan R. Lawson’s (Paulo Costanzo) dad Eddie Lawson, played by Henry Winkler. Now the upcoming third season will go down another generation, with veteran Ed Asner … Read More »

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CMT Cancels Sitcom ‘Working Class’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday April 11, 2011 @ 5:21pm PDTTags: Cable TV, CMT, CMT Scripted Series, Country Music Television, Ed Asner, Jill Cargerman, Melissa Peterman, Working Class
Nellie Andreeva

CMT’s first foray into scripted TV proved short-lived. The music-driven cable network has canceled its first original sitcom, Working Class, after one season. “Unfortunately, CMT will not be pursuing a second season of Working Class,” a note posted … Read More »

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