Comments on: SAG Board Member Urges AFTRA Boycott

By: Realist

Realist — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 11:57:03 +0000

The fact is that the AMPTP will quickly recognize AFTRA as the exclusive bargaining agent for HD and/or internet distribution. Game over SAG.

By: Jake

Jake — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:26:23 +0000

I am not an actor, but curious to know who can ACCURATELY explain the jurisdictional differences between SAG and AFTRA? Are there simple sources of information other than members themselves? The unions do not provide this to students like me trying to do some research. Thanks

By: anonymous

anonymous — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:28:06 +0000

“If you have a family, it’s even WORSE. If you qualify as an individual, your family is covered under SAG for the same $600/year. If you are AFTRA, you have to BUY UP to the family plan, which is $10,320/year!!!! You’ve lost $9,720 having your contract be AFTRA.”

As a working SAG/AFTRA member for over 30 years, I’ve become incensed by SAG’s treatment of health insurance premiums. The cost of health insurance has risen dramatically, as has the cost of premiums to members — not to mention the minimum earnings’ requirements. Why is it up to me (as a single person) to make up the difference for another SAG performer to support his/her entire family? Please name another corporation or business in this country that doesn’t make an individual pay additionally for each family member. It’s completely outrageous and an insulting waste of money.

By: Frances Fisher

Frances Fisher — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:31:34 +0000

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/protecting-actors

By: Frances Fisher

Frances Fisher — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:38:47 +0000

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/protecting-actors

By: dddkddda

dddkddda — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:53:06 +0000

I have a completely different experience of Membership First. I’m grateful that they work so hard for us. The ones I have met haven’t been “in my face” at all. Passionate, yes, but earnestly trying to get actors everything they can. My experiences, traditionally, have been much better with SAG than with AFTRA. This is a delicate situation, because most of us have to consider taking whatever work we can get. if I had to choose between the two, however, I’d choose SAG.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:17:53 +0000

Brian: Great! It’s been wonderful not having you around!

MrsWakely: Of course SAG is an outstanding union. The problem is the people (MembershipFirst) who are currently in control of it. They are the ones who are responsible for there being split unions, split P&H/H&R, and a lack of unity within SAG membership. They have had 3 years to unite for this moment. They have failed. What they chose to do for the past year is wage a fruitless war against AFTRA instead of going for the big prize: SOLIDARITY. If there is weakness in SAG in the 2008 negotiations it is theirs. If there is strength in the negotiations it is AFTRA’s. MemershipFirst has blown it and all they can do is rattle their cage.

By: Terrence Beasor

Terrence Beasor — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:06:57 +0000

TALKWRITE talks wrong. SAG pays $2 million to the 5 offices. Oddly enough SAG pays more to the Chicago office than AFTRA does. The last time I looked AFTRA was running at a $2 million deficit. Can you imagine what would happen if the deficit was $4 million?

By: Brian Hamilton

Brian Hamilton — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:33:17 +0000

RIGHT ON Justine! In the negotiations, AFTRA is not an asset–but an albatross. It’s time for actors to CHOOSE whom they want to represent them in collective bargaining. No more of this crap: same actor, same performance + different union = less pay and benefits!? It’s time to kick the “T” out of AFTRA for good. I have been resigned from that scumbag union for several years now.

By: TALKWRITE

TALKWRITE — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:12:28 +0000

AS A 40+ YEAR WORKING MEMBER OF SAG AND AFTRA (AND STILL WORKING)AND SOMEONE WHO’S BEEN ON JOINT NEGOTIATING COMMITTES,AND THE AFTRA NATL BOARD AND ITS NATL FINANCE COMMITTEE, I CAN TELL YOU JUSTINE BATEMAN DOESN’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL SHE’S TALKING ABOUT. I WON’T JUSTIFY ANSWERING ALL HER MEMB FIRST /SAGla/ROSENBERG/D ALLEN LIES, TWISTED TRUTHS & PROPAGANDA — IT’S NOT WORTH THE TYPING EXCEPT ONE. HER POINT #3 ON ‘SHARED OFFICE SPACE’.

THEY ARE NOT ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, JUSTINE -AND ALL THOSE WHO NEVER BOTHER TO CHECK OUT ERRONEOUS SWILL LIKE THIS) — THERE ARE ACTUALLY ONLY 5: SAN FRANCISCO, CHICAGO, WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE, ATLANTA AND BOSTON. AND WE HAVE ALWAYS PAID OUR SHARE OF RENT AND SALARIES. JUSTINE’S REMARKS ARE NOT JUST UNTRUE;THEY’RE, TO MY MIND, SLANDEROUS. AND THE GUILD KNOWS IT.

AFTRA IS A CLASS ACT. JUSTINE AND THE CURRENT ‘SAG LA POWER HIERACHY? UH…NO.

AND BTW - I’VE LIVED AND WORKED IN NY AND LA BUT DON’T
NOW. SADLY SAG LA DOESN’T GIVE A S**T ABOUT THE REST OF US WHO AREN’T THERE. AND IT HAS BEEN EVER THUS.

By: MrsWakely

MrsWakely — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:09:06 +0000

To step back from the specifics, I am reminded that there are confrontational types and non-confrontational types. It’s one of those “2 types of people in this world” examples. Throughout the WGA strike, I was intrigued by the people who constantly blogged negative smack about the leadership of WGA, the money being lost, the suffering of the other parties (IATSE, etc.) as if there were no costs in any labor action. WGA “won” - although we won’t see clearly the gains or losses of the strike for a good long while. I came to the conclusion that the bottom line on new media is “nobody knows anything” but that it WAS vital that WGA held out for at least a toe-hold, no matter what that toe-hold actually means in the end. Same for SAG, and the SAG/AFTRA conflicts. Justine is absolutely right. Clearly, someone who will “confront” when necessary. The industry has become so anti-actor, and yet, as I have often said, SAG is the most powerful union, hands down. SAG needs to get its troops in line, which means, among other things, A-list talent needs to be reminded - they are part of a WHOLE and must support the WHOLE, or face penalty. If SAG can get its shit together, A-listers, working actors, and non-working members - they can take on the AMPTP in short order. Think of the leverage: “you want to go to Canada? Great! Have a good shoot, eh? Just without SAG actors. Want to shoot in a right to work state? Rock on! But not with that SAG star. AFTRA - you want to poach that contract on that cable show? Enjoy! But, make sure the producers know the dual card holders will be unavailable and won’t work for shit wages and shit residuals and payments going to AFTRA H&P instead of SAG” - hey Dennis Leary - that means YOU. “Rescue Me is a good show, I worked on it - but do you wonder what all those guys EXCEPT Leary are thinking while he’s getting rich as producer/lead? I’ll tell you -”I’m getting fucked. This may be my ONE shot as a regular on a top TV show, and I am NOT getting NEARLY what I would on a SAG contract.” I worked that show, and was told “guest lead? $1500. That’s it. That’s what we pay Charles Durning.” Yeah, THAT Charles Durning, who just won the lifetime achievement award - FROM SAG.

It’s very simple really.
Everybody is struggling. Everybody is pushing for that gig. Everybody auditions 30 times for every one job. Everybody needs that one job (or two or three) in a year to be worth TOP DOLLAR. SAG needs to get that done by getting its stars in line, as its most powerful emissaries, and then using tough tactics with the suits that let them know they can take their cost-cutting- while-raking-in-billions-bullshit somewhere else, and SAG can do it by being CONFRONTATIONAL - in a smart, aggressive way. It’s called BUSINESS folks. These people (the AMPTP) aren’t your friends. Hello? They want to pick your pocket while lining theirs. Wise up.

By: TV Producer

TV Producer — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:32:59 +0000

Screw AFTRA. After the way AFTRA members *didn’t* show up on the WGA picket lines and *did* perform scabbed scripts, they can bite me. I will never hire another one of them on my shows so long as there’s a SAG member to take their place. And there always is.
You blew it, twatwaffles!

By: no elitism here

no elitism here — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:53:37 +0000

Intrigued, can you please move to planet earth? Thanks. People generally belong to AFTRA in order to work a job that’s covered by AFTRA. They don’t get the option of which contract they want to work under. Yeah, they could go fi-core or whatever AFTRA calls it, but that wouldn’t sit well with many people no matter how much they’d prefer to work under the SAG contract. It’s called jurisdiction, and…yeah, just forget it. If you’ll notice, Justice is saying she wants to essentially go fi-core because she gets nothing beneficial from being in AFTRA, but whatever you say. If you’re aware of masses of actors signing up for AFTRA (which, btw, has no entrance requirements so just about everyone COULD belong, yet SAG, which does have entrance requirements, has three times as many members) just because, out of love for AFTRA or because AFTRA is filling this void that SAG can’t, and not mainly to work jobs under AFTRA’s jurisdiction, then, uh, good for you.

By: I've just really had it

I've just really had it — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:17:41 +0000

I have trouble with both of my unions. I need them both but they’re both driving me nuts.

It’s true the problems started when Membership First took power. This group’s vitriolic, in-your-face tactics make SAG look like a bunch of amateurs. It’s unprofessional to hold your breath until your face turns blue, and it’s not going to impress the AMPTP. This is business, people.

I’ve made it regular policy not to vote for anyone who has “Membership First” next to their name. As someone said before me, they’ve lost touch with reality. (And am I crazy? Wasn’t Matthew Kimbrough an original member of the Membership First faction? I’m pretty sure he was at one time on the SAG board. Is this fishy? Someone straighten me out, please.)

But I’ve gotta admit, when I book a job and my agent tells me it’s AFTRA, my heart sinks. I really hate to work an AFTRA contract because the pay’s so bad. And I had to drop my husband’s AFTRA coverage because we couldn’t afford it. BLUE CROSS IS CHEAPER!!!!

Why don’t I run for office? I have served AFTRA as an organizer. I have served SAG on a negotiating committee. I have marched. I have voted. But I’m also running three businesses, so that’s my excuse.

And I’m not publishing my name here because some of those Membership First people are just plain scary.

By: Intrigued

Intrigued — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:19:19 +0000

no elitism here,

there is a simple solution for the actors that don’t like being represented by AFTRA… WITHDRAW!!! Since actors are not forced to be represented by AFTRA, it is silly to suggest that even a majority of those 40,000 are unhappy with the union. Furthermore, for 2 of the loudest critics on this post to be members of AFTRA is also telling (and is kind of my point), AFTRA IS PROVIDING THEM SERVICE THEY DEEM WORTHHILE or they wouldn’t be members!!!

Two unions should not be battling eachother like this (not good for either union or its members), but clearly AFTRA is fulfilling a need to some actors that SAG isn’t (so its not gonna go away). IT MAKES A HELLUVA LOT MORE SENSE FOR SAG TO WORK WITH AFTRA THAN TO ATTACK THEM!

(with a name like ‘no elitism here’ it seems you would see that SAG is acting very elitist in this situation - read Ms. Bateman’s statement again and see if it doesn’t come across as elitist. even if her points are all valid there is a much more diplomatic way to present your argument)