Let's Get Social!
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 14, 2020 –
Today, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris was notified that the Department of Labor investigation determined that there are no grounds to rerun the election for the union’s presidency. This complete vindication for Carteris is a resounding conclusion to her successful re-election campaign.
In denying this request for an election rerun, the Labor Department has affirmed that the election was fairly conducted with integrity and in a democratic fashion.
Carteris said, “I am grateful for the Labor Department’s comprehensive review and findings which confirm that our union’s elections are conducted fairly and administered without bias or preference.
It is my profound hope that this result puts an end to what has been an extraordinarily divisive and aggressive period. Certain political representatives from the opposition have worked to tear our union down with death threats, inaccurate media stories, online bullying, character assassinations, and other divisive attacks. These aggressions ultimately culminated in their attempt to derail the results of our electoral process and overturn the votes of our membership.
With so many challenges before us, it is imperative that we all focus on the important work that must be done to protect our members. I invite the remnants of the opposition campaign to cease all negative attacks and work with the duly elected leadership to truly serve the membership.”Unite for Strength
Our membership is diverse and so are the contracts you work. We believe leaders should reflect the people they represent. We also believe our union should cover the variety of ways you earn a living.
The only constant in life is change. In order to prepare for it, one must have the ability to know which direction it is going. This requires foresight, and leaders who continuously study shifts in this ever-changing industry, to better position your ability to earn a living; today and well into the future.
It’s all about the work. The work of finding solutions to the issues that concern you every day of your career. Talk is cheap, however, having something to show for it is priceless. We’re committed to not just telling you how we plan to improve working conditions, we pledge to show it to you; both in the contracts you work and the leadership we provide.
Long gone are the days of working for only three broadcast networks. In the age of streaming services the opportunities for employment has multiplied by the hundreds. Our industry isn’t as simple as it was “back in the day”. We consider that a good thing, because with your work now being seen by a global audience, the opportunities to earn more money has multiplied. Making sure that your checks reflect this new landscape is one of our top priorities in the boardroom.
No one, repeat, no one should feel unsafe on the job. From stunt safety to sexual harassment, we are committed to making sure your job is conducted in professional and respectful environment. This commitment also extends to the audition process. Your first priority is to do a good job as a performer; our first priority is to help you focus on your job; and nothing else.
Times are tough. We’re also feeling the pain of a rapidly changing industry. Like you, our heads are spinning trying to stay ahead of the curve. However, we’re not letting that stop us from setting the best foundation possible for when the dust settles and ensure that your future is everything you’ve ever dreamed. We can't control how the industry changes, but we can control how we prepare for them.
I have been honored to serve on Local and National boards. Making a living acting under multiple contracts over the years has compelled me to serve our members. I will continue our fight for online privacy. As Chair of LA GAPP, we helped secure five more years of Tax incentives in CA to 2025 and lobbied DC for a bill to reclaim our tax deductions. Helped create SPA and will work to continue increasing our pay in Low Budget New Media & Films and improve our claims resolutions. Online Privacy (Chair), Government Affairs and Public Policy (Chair), Low Budget (Chair), SAGIndie, TV/Theatrical, Military Personnel and Families Support, National & Local Women’s committee.
I am running for the National Board because I believe in our union and the good it does for each of us. As a member for 23 years who has been blessed to work in nearly every area of the industry, I know that there is no industry issue too big for all of us to handle. Further, I know that we are better when we all realize that we’re in this together. I look forward to being a productive part of all the good we will do in the future.
Octavia Spencer, Bryan Cranston, Geena Davis, Alan Alda, James Cromwell, Rita Moreno, J.K. Simmons, Jane Lynch, Alec Baldwin, Rosario Dawson, Clark Gregg, Maria Bello, Noah Wyle, Camryn Manheim, Mike Colter, Margo Martindale, Jason Priestley, Jon Huertas, Marcia Gay Harden, Michael Cudlitz, Tichina Arnold, Adam Arkin, John Cho, Selma Blair, Jason George, Mike Farrell, Rhea Perlman, Yvette Nicole Brown, Adrian Martinez, Lisa Vidal, Robert Patrick, Michelle Hurd, Jack Speer, Joe Krebs, Michael O'Neill, D.W. Moffett, John Carroll Lynch, Keythe Farley, Cort Hessler, Omid Abtahi, Kate Maberly, David Wenham, Shawn Ashmore, James Callis, Mike Pniewski, Sarah Carter, James Lesure, Linda Park, Victor Webster, Laura Campbell, Marnette Patterson, Jamie Sorrentini, Pej Vahdat, David Cubitt, Laura Coover, Yan Feldman, Spencer Garrett, Catherine Dent, Patrick Fabian, Robert Pine, Jenny O'Hara, David Hartley-Margolin, Jim Kerr, Ellen Crawford, Chantal Cousineau, Iqbal Theba, Lee Purcell, Tom Choi, Parvesh Cheena, Dawnn Lewis, Kate Flannery, Kate Linder, Vivicca Whitsett, William Charlton, Nitasha Bhambree, Woody Schultz, Hal Eisner, Janice Pendarvis, Joy Benedict, Bobbie Bates, Jasper Randall, Bob Butler, John Rothman, Keri Tombazian, Jeff Spurgeon, Katie Barberi, Delanna Studi, Stephen Lang, Loretta Swit, Tamlyn Tomita, and Mike Genovese.
NATIONWIDE SUPPORT
Over 100 SAG-AFTRA LEADERS from ALL 25 LOCALS support Gabrielle Carteris
NATIONAL OFFICERS | Rebecca Damon (Executive Vice President), Clyde Kusatsu (Vice President, Los Angeles), Liz Zazzi (Vice President, New York), Ilyssa Fradin (Vice President, Mid-Sized Locals), Suzanne Burkhead (Vice President, Small Locals), Samantha Mathis (Vice President, Actors/Performers), Catherine Brown (Vice President, Broadcasters), Dan Navarro (Vice President, Recording Artists) ARIZONA-UTAH | Joe Corcoran (President), Margie Ghigo (National Board Member), Billy Holden (Vice President), Ted Raymond ATLANTA | Ric Reitz (President), Debra Nelson (National Board Member), Mike Pniewski (1st Vice President), Clayton Landey (2nd Vice President), Yolanda Asher (Secretary), Wilbur Fitzgerald (Former President), Ray Benitez, Eric Goins, Jon Hayden, Doug Kaye, Sheila Maddox, Michelle Rivera, Barry Stoltze, , Adena Brumer CHICAGO | Charles Andrew Gardner (President), John Carter Brown (National Board Member), Richard Shavzin (National Board Member) COLORADO | Sheila Ivy Traister (President and National Board Member), David Hartley-Margolin (Former National Vice President, Small Locals), Nancy Flanagan (Vice President), Maureen Aldrin, Dulcie Camp, James Engel, Jason Henning, Nita Froelich, Abner Genece, Chaz Grundy, Catherine McGuire, T. David Rutherford, Joan Valentine DALLAS–FORT WORTH | Brent Anderson (President), Hector Garcia (National Board Member), Suzanne Burkhead HAWAII | Scott Rogers (National Board Member) HOUSTON – AUSTIN | Pamela Weaver (President and National Board Member, Dee Dawson (Former National Board Member), Mykle McCoslin (First Vice President), Norma Jean McVey, Michelle Rendon LOS ANGELES | Clyde Kusatsu (National Vice President, Los Angeles), Dan Navarro (National Vice President, Recording Artists), Ellen Crawford (National and Local Board Member), Jenny O’Hara (National and Local Board Member), Woody Schultz (National and Local Board Member), William Charlton (National and Local Board Member), Bobbie Bates (National Board Member), Hal Eisner (National Board Member), Lisa Vidal (National Board Member), Jason George (National Board Member). Michelle Hurd (National Board Member), Jon Huertas (National Board Member), Stacey Travis (National Board Member), Jasper Randall (National Board Member), Robert Pine (National Board Member), Abigail Spencer (National Board Member), Catherine Dent (Local Board Member), Dawnn Lewis (Local Board Member), Elaine Loh (Local Board Member), Elizabeth McLaughlin (Local Board Member), Fletcher Sheridan (Local Board Member), Kate Flannery (Local Board Member), Kate Linder (Local Board Member), Katie Von Till (Local Board Member), Lee Purcell (Local Board Member), Parvesh Cheena (Local Board Member), Patrick Fabian (Local Board Member), Rob Archer (Local Board Member), Spencer Garrett (Local Board Member), Tom Choi (Local Board Member), Vivicca Whitsett (Local Board Member), Ben Whitehair (Local Board Member) MIAMI | John McKarthy (President), Nancy Duerr (National Board Member), Steve Gladstone (Former President), Dave Corey (Former National Board Member) MICHIGAN | Eric Wydra (President), Peter Tocco (National Board Member), Jo-Jo Shutty-MacGregor (1st Vice President), Phil Elam (2nd Vice President), Shane Carson (Secretary) MISSOURI VALLEY | Tom Murray (President), Rodger Brand (National Board Member) NASHVILLE | Mike Montgomery (President) , Evans Donnell NEVADA | Steve Dressler (National Board Member) NEW ENGLAND | Michele Proude (President), Bill Mootos (National Board Member), Tom Kemp (VP Actor/Performers), Vic Ramos (VP Broadcasters), Ellen Colton (Secretary), Doug Bowen-Flynn, Frank Cacciola, Doug Cope, Russ Gannon, Paul Horn, Andrea Lyman, Peter McSwiggin, Karen Scalia, Rod Fritz NEW MEXICO | Marc Comstock (President), Mel MacKaron – National Board Member, William Sterchi (Former SAG Council President), Michael L. Miller (2nd Vice President), Allan K. Edgar, Mary Woods NEW ORLEANS | Charles Ferrara (National Board Member) NEW YORK | Rebecca Damon (Executive Vice President and NY President), Ezra Knight (Vice President), Maureen Donnelly (Vice President), Jim Kerr (Vice President), Liz Zazzi (Vice President), Manny Alfaro, Dave Bachman, Marc Baron, Evan Bass, Thomas Bellezza, Nitasha Bhambree, Sandra M. Bloom, David Bodenschatz, Avis Boone, Jacqueline (Jacqui) Bradley, Christine Bruno, Ray DeForest, Gene DeFrancis, Wayne Duvall, Venida Evans, Nick Fondulis, Janette Gautier, Andrew Gelles, Traci Godfrey, Stuart Green, Ed Heavey, Cort Hessler, Anita Hollander, Vivienne Jurado, Sandra Karas, Kathy Keane, Verania Kenton, Peter Kilcommons, Gerald Kline, Jeff Knapp, Ilene Kristen, Elaine LeGaro, Tom Ligon, Cathy Lilly, Doug Lory, James Lurie, Adrian Martinez, Tommy McInnis, Robert McKay, Joseph Melendez, S.P. Monahan, Mary Elaine Monti, Jack Mulcahy, Christine Nagy, Janice Pendarvis, Jay Potter, Linda Powell, Cheri Preston, Marisa Redanty, Buzz Roddy, John Rothman, Nick Sakai, Kevin Scullin, Sarah Seeds, leslie Shreve, Alice Spivak, Jeff Spurgeon, Nancy Ellen Sutherland, Jamal Story, Alex Tavis, Joan Valentina, Tania Villanueva, Rick Zahn OHIO–PITTSBURGH | Chris Lacey (National Board Member), Mark Roberts PHILADELPHIA | Mike Kraycik (VP Actors/Performers), John Mitchel (National Board Member), Tom McNutt (Former President), Helen McNutt (Former National Board Member) PORTLAND | Mary MacDonald-Lewis (National Board Member), Robert Cohn, Harold Phillips, Chrisse Roccaro, Michelle Damis, Margaret McOmie SAN DIEGO | Martin Alvillar (President), Don Ahles (National Board Member) SAN FRANCISCO–NORTHERN CALIFORNIA | Kathryn Howell (President and National Board Member), Bob Butler (National Board Member), Edward Vasgersian (VP Performers), Mike Pechner (VP Broadcasters), Micci Toliver (Recording Secretary), Lea Gulino, Charlie Holliday, Rika Luna, Joe Paulino SEATTLE | Rik Deskin (President), Abby Dylan (National Board Member), Maggie Stenson, Rachel Glass, April Raine TWIN CITIES | Peter Moore (President), Randal Berger (National Board Member), Bob Davis (1st Vice President) WASHINGTON–MID ATLANTIC | Lance Lewman (President), Susan Snyder (National Board Member), Joe Krebs (National Board Member and Chair, Broadcast Steering Committee), Julie Wright (Vice President), Kathryn Klvana (Secretary-Treasurer), Jack Speer, John Henrehan (Former Vice President, Broadcaster), Melissa Leebaert, Elizabeth Noone, Sheldon Smith, Ellie K. Wang. -- (Titles are used for identification purposes only) --
No, they are not.
Both are considered in the green zone with a long term plan to be fully funded.(source)
The truth about staff pensions.
They have virtually no effect on our bottom line, yet they allow us to retain top talent. Risking the loss of our most valued staff could cost us tens of millions in poor decisions and contract negotiations. Want to reduce their accrual rates? Then get ready to pay them much higher salaries to match their for-profit sector counterparts, costing us substantially more.
FIRST, SOME HISTORY:
In the early 2000’s, when SAG-PPHP agreed to cover Screen Actors Guild staff, as the union was bleeding money as a result of rapidly expanding staff benefit costs. At the time, staff benefits were provided through private insurers at significant cost to the union’s general treasury. That means it was OUR dues money paying for it. So it was a tremendous benefit to members when SAG-PPHP agreed to include this small group of additional participants (literally 1% of pensioners and 2% of health plan participants), thereby reducing substantially the amount of member dues money that the union had to spend to pay for staff benefits. This freed up money for our union to focus on members.
All of this happened under different (previous) union leadership but still, the changes to staff benefits had to be accepted by the then-current employees of SAG, including by the many internal unions that represent our staff across the country. There were commitments made to our employees about their benefits at that time and in the future. Accordingly, the pension benefit, including such things as the accrual rate for staff, cannot simply be yanked away. The union trustees surely understand the complexity of this issue and we should all understand the tremendous benefit to members to have great benefits for our staff at limited cost to the union and minimal costs to the Plans.
IMPORTANTLY, having good benefits for our employees has helped us stop Producers from poaching our best staff and has SAVED our union money. In the past 5 years, Netflix, CBS, NBC and others have lured our staff away – after we spent time and money to train them in the business – with higher salaries, big bonuses and company stock. This is not good for members and we don’t want to go back to being the training camp for future studio executives. Having an excellent benefits package for our staff – the people who negotiate and enforce your contracts, protect and distribute your residuals and look out for you in myriad other ways – helps us retain them in the face of competition from studios, advertisers, law firms and other companies. If the union reduces their benefits, then it will have to offset that loss with higher salaries – salaries that come directly out of your dues money. In other words, it will cost members more money.
KEEP IN MIND:
Staff are our representatives, negotiators and contract enforcers. They’re prohibited from competing for our jobs, they don't earn residuals or royalties, and they could make twice as much money working against us at a studio or network. It is absolutely paramount that we attract and retain the best possible staff to fight day in and day out on our behalf.
ACCRUAL RATES:
SAG took a big hit in 2008 by refusing to negotiate a new TV/Theatrical contract which lost SAG members over $100 million in pay raises and SAG Pension BENEFIT contributions. MF(the same people) were leading SAG. At that time both staff and members had the same accrual rate (3.5%).
The plans took an almost catastrophic hit due to a plunge in contributions from losing TV to AFTRA, in addition to the implosion of the financial markets. In order to keep the plans on stable footing, the Trustees elected to lower members’ accrual rate to 2% with the long-term goal of raising it back to 3.5%.
Contrary to statements about residuals disappearing, UFS is leading the way in improving our residuals structure in HBSVOD.
The truth is complicated, but it’s important to note that with the markets evolving (fewer network reruns, etc.) we are focused on improving residuals in the areas where we see dramatic growth; like HBSVOD, where a show may live for years.
In 2017 we successfully improved the Episodic/TV streaming residual formula.
In short, no.
The Pension and Health plans are entirely separate from SAG-AFTRA.
50% of the trustees on all three plans (SAG-AFTRA HEALTH, SAG Pension and AFTRA Retirement) are union appointed. Management (AMPTP, JPC) has the other 50%, which means agreements have to be made between both sides to make changes to the plans.
In other words, the union trustees and management trustees must negotiate changes to these plans: they are not unilaterally decided solely by the union’s trustees.
The national board appoints our union-side trustees through nomination and voting. The names of the trustees are on each of the different plan pages under the “about” tabs.
Being a trustee requires the member to accept personal financial responsibility for any malfeasance to these plans: it is not a responsibility to be taken lightly, which speaks volumes for the integrity that comprises our trustees.
We have past presidents, past secretary-treasurers, past officers, members-at-large and a couple of executive staff on our trustee side.
Trustees must also participate in continuing trustee education.
In order to purchase a building, we must first ensure that contract enforcement, contract negotiations, and building a solid reserve fund are in place.
When MF was leading SAG, they put the union in a deep financial hole. After the merger with AFTRA, we have been slowly and steadily repairing the union’s finances and building a reserve fund so that we are prepared in the event of a strike.
SAG-AFTRA has completed initial research and found that there are no buildings currently available that are big enough, affordable enough, and offer easy accessibility to the membership to house our headquarters.
SAG-AFTRA will continue to evaluate the feasibility of purchasing a building, but in the meantime our current lease is below the market rate and a responsible expenditure of our funds.
It is centrally located, close to the studios, and easily accessible to a substantial portion of the membership.
SAG-AFTRA is a nationwide union with 25 locals and offices throughout the country.
We always want members getting involved and taking an interest in what is going on at the union.
Our recent commercials contract is a success story, and a prime example of member involvement.
The union created the #adsgounion campaign, instituted painstaking step-by-step processes from monthly meetings, and actively engaged in member outreach to get members onboard and involved.
Result: a game-changing commercials contract which is already BRINGING ADVERTISERS BACK TO THE CONTRACT
We have recently promulgated a new Low Budget, platform agnostic approach to low budget production. It includes substantial pay raises for members and wages indexed to our master contract.
The SPA (Short Project Agreement) gives member producers more flexibility in shooting low budget projects without leaping through too many hoops.
The signatory process still needs improvement and remains something we are focused on to make it more responsive and communicative to both producers and members.
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