On Saturday, Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg asked the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to delay the ratification of its tentative primetime TV contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. AFTRA declined, upsetting SAG. So this morning, SAG rallied actors together at its Los Angeles headquarters in “solidarity.” The goal? To persuade enough of the 44,000 people who are members of both unions to vote against the AFTRA deal, thus forcing AFTRA to renegotiate its agreement with producers. Several hundred actors showed up for the event, many passionately pumping their fists in the air, chanting “AFTRA sucks” and “Vote No”; their instructions were to shout loud enough for AFTRA to hear them on the 9th floor. (SAG’s New York board was absent, however, reportedly in opposition to the anti-AFTRA message.)
EW.com caught up with Rosenberg after the rally to discuss his expectations. He said that if dual-union members don’t vote down the contract, he’s hoping “they’ll
put a severe dent in that ratification process. And failing that, I’m
hoping for the best deal we possibly can.” Indeed, that’s the ideal scenario: a deal. But if SAG
doesn’t hear what it wants at the negotiating table, that union can still
play its strike card — pending a strike authorization
vote by its members. “We haven’t asked for
strike authorization yet,” Rosenberg told us. “Nothing says that we can’t work past the
expiration date on our contract under the old terms while we’re
negotiating and while we’re working on that strike authorization. We’ll
have to do it in the next week or two. At that time, I’ll tell the
members that doesn’t mean we’re going on strike, but what we need is
that tool in our pocket to achieve the best deal we can. Right now, my
focus is on continuing these negotiations. I’m really optimistic.”
One sign that SAG is fighting an uphill battle: a notable lack of A-listers at today’s rally. While we have a special place in our
heart for Ed Asner, Marg Helgenberger (who is Rosenberg’s wife), Justine
Bateman, The Office’s Kate Flannery, and Sex and the City’s Willie
Garson, there wasn’t a Hanks or a Clooney or a Streep or a Fey in
sight. Admitted Flannery, “What the [producers] offered AFTRA is not
going to work for SAG, and we need something to work for all of us. That’s why I’m here to lend my little voice to this big effort. And I
just hope that higher-profile actors decide to step up to the plate,
because their voices are a lot louder than mine.”
In
Saturday’s statements, AFTRA warned SAG that the union should “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.” Ballots will be sent out to AFTRA
members in the next week or so, and they are due back in three weeks,
after the SAG’s contract expires on June 30.
One sign that SAG is fighting an uphill battle: a notable lack of A-listers at today’s rally. While we have a special place in ourheart for Ed Asner, Marg Helgenberger (who is Rosenberg’s wife), JustineBateman, The Office’s Kate Flannery, and Sex and the City’s WillieGarson, there wasn’t a Hanks or a Clooney or a Streep or a Fey insight. Admitted Flannery, "What the [producers] offered AFTRA is notgoing to work for SAG, and we need something to work for all of us. That’s why I’m here to lend my little voice to this big effort. And Ijust hope that higher-profile actors decide to step up to the plate,because their voices are a lot louder than mine."
InSaturday’s statements, AFTRA warned SAG that the union should "be awarethat we would view any attempt by SAG or its leadership to undermine orinterfere with our ratification process as a violation of both the lawand the AFL-CIO Constitution." Ballots will be sent out to AFTRAmembers in the next week or so, and they are due back in three weeks,after the SAG’s contract expires on June 30.
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Screw these actors! There are hard working Americans in every state losing jobs due to cutbacks and the declining economy. Throw inflated gas and food prices into the mix and many Americans are finding it hard if not impossible to make ends meet. People are cutting back on food and medicine purchases, they are sometimes unable to put fuel in their cars *if* they still have a job. I don’t care if those selfish actors that are *already* rich think they deserve even more money. I say, if they want to work, fine, if not…then good riddance. I’m perfectly happy to watch game shows and reality TV until these selfish a$$holes get a grip on reality.
Alarmpro – Rich actors? Are you seriously under the impression that EVERY actor is pulling down the kind of money that Clooney, Hanks, Cruise and co are making? The FACT is, 99% of the people in SAG are fighting to make a living – most of those don’t earn enough not to have a second and third job. Those are the people we’re fighting for, against the corporate greed that is the powers that be in Hollywood. Get your facts straight. You say, “I say, if they want to work, fine, if not…then good riddance.” Would you say that about the factory worker fighting to keep their families fed in the face of cutbacks and outsourcing? No? Then don’t say that about the hard working members of SAG that find themselves in the SAME POSITION.
As a SAG member as well as AFTRA and Equity, I am outraged that Rosenberg and his cronies are spending our dues money to fight a sister union! What planet is he from? SAG has plenty of power at the bargaining table so why try and kill a good deal that AFTRA has made? Why turn actors against each other? why waste our dues money. Get back to the table with AMPTP and do what you are supposed to do. Bargain!
PLEASE fix the typo in the headline! “Solidarity” not “solidary.” C’mon EW!
Awriter, I feel what you are saying, but face it, the American Public is not going to see it that way if SAG goes on strike and destroys yet another TV season. The public thinks of television actors as very highly paid, they see the average television actor as getting $100,000 or more an episode. While this might not be reality, its the reality that the public will see and the reality that AMPTP will gladly promote. The American public will not be behind a SAG strike for one second.
Alan Rosenberg is a washed-up actor who is thoroughly enjoying his 15 minutes. As far back as February he was adament about not starting negotiations, even after being urged to do so by members of his union. He knows that as long as this conflict continues, he will be in the limelight. There will be a strike. This sad, pathetic man will drive SAG to it. I have NO sympathy for SAG. Impeach your president and get on with the negotiations!
No sympathy from me for SAG and particularly this president. The fact he’s waging a high profile campaign to sabotage another union’s already in place deal; turning members against each other for those who are members of both. Now I agree, they may have more of a case if there hadn’t been a lengthy strike that pretty much ruined Hollywood and the current television lineup. If there is another one; television will never be the same. And People will be out of jobs. I realize only a percentage of those in the union have high profile jobs and I know SAG actors should have what they are entitled to. But the fact it’s president is waging a high profile sabotage job on another union is only made for trouble and serves SAG no help. They should have started earlier to negotiate. So no sympathy from me.
I don’t know how I feel about unions in general. But I will say that I’m more likely to support a striking teacher, nurse or other necessary job over someone who is making or trying to make a living in entertainment. That said, if any of these actors or writers strike, they can prepare by living off their huge salaries or by the other jobs they have to sustain. However, the makeup artists, caterers and all of the other support industries are really screwed. The message I see is if you can’t support your sister union, why would you support your sister industries? As for those of us you entertain, I’ve started watching sports and American Idol. And if tv doesn’t come back, I think we’ll likely find alternatives.
It drives me insane when folks associate SAG with just movie and television stars. This isn’t for those folks that are making well above SAG scale. These negotiations are for the folks that are working in the trenches. If we don’t support those actors that are scraping by, they won’t be able to hang in long enough to become the next big movie stars. If the networks want to use an actor’s performance on a website that brings them advertising money everytime it is viewed, then that actor should get even just a little bit of income from that. The producers are making more money off of new technology, and they don’t want to share with those that are actually creating the product that is being sold over the new technology.
While I feel for the out of work actors and struggling actors who make up most of SAG, i feel attacking AFTRA is stupid and harmful in the long run. Now if the AFTRA members do indeed vote forth their contract, it will be SAG vs. AFTRA, with the producers sitting on the sidelines waiting to capitalize on the fall-out. A thought both organizations should take into account: after dealing with the writer’s strike and now with higher gas prices, a struggling economy, and a shakey job market, most Americans will not be sympahtic if and when the actors go on strike, no matter what the facts are.
Impeaching Rosenberg is the only solution to the SAG mess. A president who will not compromise and negotiate is not helping his union. After living through the WGA strike and the billions of dollars lost to this state because of it, I will not support a SAG strike, nor do I have any sympathy for its members. Life isn’t perfect and you can’t have everything you want. Get rid of Rosenberg, go back to the negotiating table and hammer out a contract. End of story.
Why should actors get that extra income? They do a job, get paid, and it’s done. I don’t understand why actors think they’re so special that they deserve a piece of every pie. They do a job and get paid. That’s enough.
Perhaps more actors could find work if the big “stars” didn’t have to be paid a life’s wages for every episode.
Perhaps more people would be pro-union if they remembered that the corporations they are negotiating with still make billions of dollars in profit after paying the top actors and actresses rather nicely.
No actor or actress necessarily suffers because another is getting a bigger slice of the pie. They suffer because of the pie-maker’s decision on just how much of that pie they’re willing to offer up.
When AFTRA rejects solidarity with their union brothers and sisters, I really think they don’t have much grounds to complain about it to the AFL-CIO.
I’m SAG, and was asked to help on a film in a job that was considered ‘crew’, when they needed extras I was told that being an extra was acting, and fell under SAG jurisdiction… the film’s stars were relatively well known actors, SAG actors, so certainly the extras were SAG, right? WRONG – SAG has for some time allowed producers to hire outside of SAG for various reasons in ’smaller markets’ (basically, everywhere but NY and LA, we were shooting in the midwest). To add insult to injury, the ocean of IATSE members there didn’t care about the film’s management bringing in non-union actors — they did make the new hire sign up with IATSE before he could start working in their jobs, but they had no loyalty to the other unions. I left the job feeling the whole thing was a sham. Solidarity? PS – while Producer’s don’t have to follow SAG rules in ’smaller markers’, the actors do. SAG allows producers to hire some non-SAG actors, but insists members not work in non-SAG jobs.
You’re arguing that the IATSE’s lack of solidarity (when the production is following the rules that SAG members unfortunately voted to approve) has some bearing on whether AFTRA should show solidarity?
Yeah. That doesn’t really have any logic to it. Your union is only going to be as good as the members make it. Start trying to ride herd on a group of folks that want to change the rules you’re unhappy with. Perfect time for it, given that a contract is coming up…
Awriter- Of course I’m not under the impression that every actor makes “Clooney” money, however your statement regarding 2nd and 3rd jobs most actors have to get makes sense. I assume we are talking about “rising stars” here… Well, duh, of course they need supplimental income because they’re only working, what, 50 days out of the year? Are you saying that they should get a living wage for “working” sub-part-time? Comparing a factory worker to an aspiring actor is an insult to the factory worker. Those that choose to work in the arts know it’s a risky proposition, it’s comparable to a professional athelte – not all of them make Tom Brady or Troy Aikman money because not all of them are as *good* as them. They, like these actors should consider themselves lucky to even be working. Justine Bateman, Kate Flannery, Willie Garson, and Ed Asner are perfect examples of those lucky to be working; the thought of them “pumping their fists in the air” screaming for more money is laughable.
SAG is run by a bunch of bitter, angry “actors” that probably can’t remember the last time they worked. It’s no wonder they buried the petition to limit voting to actors that meet certain requirements by sending it to committee. I doubt if any them would be able to vote. A strike by SAG would ruin this town, this industry and alot of peoples lives. These people need to smarten up, make a deal and let us get on with our lives. The studios are our employers, we work for them and they pay us. If people are unhappy with what they get paid, they should find another line of work. We’re not any more special than anyone else that is struggling through the economic hardships of these times. Which is one of the main reasons not to strike – these economic times.
I’d sign an extension in a minute. After the WGA strike bank accounts in this town are running on empty. I know it sounds wishy washy but we all came out here chaseing a dream and not one single union (WGA, DGA, AFTRA, SAG) has the right to ransom that to thier own ends, wga tried it and got thier butts kicked. compenseation for product placement? It’s called your salary, it’s called the budget; product placement accounts for larger and larger percentage of overall budget with each new film. Plus that’s the producers scam. They came up with it, hat’s off, good job. Get what you can Rosenberg then relinquish your limellight moment and let us continue to work… Haitus is over.
I’d sign an extension in a minute. After the WGA strike bank accounts in this town are running on empty. I know it sounds wishy washy but we all came out here chaseing a dream and not one single union (WGA, DGA, AFTRA, SAG) has the right to ransom that to thier own ends, wga tried it and got thier butts kicked. compenseation for product placement? It’s called your salary, it’s called the budget; product placement accounts for larger and larger percentage of overall budget with each new film. Plus that’s the producers scam. They came up with it, hat’s off, good job. Get what you can Rosenberg then relinquish your limellight moment and let us continue to work… Haitus is over.
Strikes hurt working men and women who cannot afford to pay their rent, mortgages, car payments and child care. Strikes are counterproductive and end up costing billions to give a few at the top more millions. The writers’s strike proved that billions were lost and businesses went under. Binding arbitration while everyone keeps working is the civilized way of resolving the issues. The actors should remember that below the line and vendors are human beings too.
The WGA strike was difficult to endure but completely justified. It is unfortunate that there are millions of other jobs that are caught in the crossfire, but they need to be on our side. There are causes higher than our own, and that principle is that actors, writers, directors, the crew and everyone else that works SO HARD to put a concept on a screen should NEVER be coerced into accepting below the line payments. What people don’t realize is that people involved in production usually work 12 hour days or more, and they deserve to be paid a decent amount when producers, studios, and networks make exorbitent amounts of money over and over and over again based off of our work. The unions are there for a reason. AFTRA leadership has behaved like a word that rhymes with wussies like they always do. We need to tell the AMPTP that we will not be taken advantage of. If ever there was a year to hit them with a strike, now is the year! It is the AMPTP’s fault for not giving us a fair deal!
Yes, a strike will hurt everyone, but the populous is so anesthetized these days that they don’t care about anything but themselves. If they really wanted to avoid a strike, they’d grow a pair and write the AMPTP and tell them to negotitate a fair deal! And by the way, the current proposal is NOT a fair deal, given the gains SAG and other unions have made over the years. If there is a strike, get out there and strike with them! The more the better. Fight for a cause higher than your little existance for once!
Dear Alarmpro,
80% of the SAG membership is unemployed at any one time. The rank and file are not rich. I am a SAG member that needs to work. Sag members are among those Americans “finding it hard if not impossible to make ends meet”, as you so correctly wrote in your last email.
Let’s allow for negotiation, common sense and action before we call anyone “selfish a$$holes”
GB
The problem with e-mail is that it is much too immediate and unretractable. One tends to write, send and then think.
Alarmpro, you seem angry. If your last email reflects your knowledge of the business or understanding of the issues
you need to research the subject, understand the system and taske a deep breath before penning your rebuttal.
I understand that everyone wants a fair compensation for their work. And I agree with that. But when the writer strikes. I feel they are striking to save their second or vacation homes. While people who are below the line and does not make residuals are trying to keep their head afloat and trying to save their primery residance. I have a hard time supporting, when I was working on a TV show my rate on that show was from 2 yrs back. And the above the lineand the actors are actually making their quotes. As we all know that a TV show cannot be made with out the people below the line building the set, pulling cables, doing the make-up, hair, all the way to craft service, and PAs. To really make all this fair deal for everone. Why doesn’t the residual be filtered all the way down. Especially the creative departments like Art Department, Costumes, Hair and Make-up.
Impeach Alan Rosenberg and the negoitiating committee if they will not let the members of SAG have the contract to vote on. They can always put a tag on it that they don’t recommend the contract but everyone in SAG should get a chance to wrestle with their own demons and be allowed to vote. No one has mentioned the Heath Insurance – if you don’t qualify – you are dumped. (COBRA – who can afford it?)
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Rosenberg and the rest of his party who thinks that a strike will bring AMPTP to it’s knees is a fine example of the selfishness and greed that actors have.
Actors are overpaid as it is and for the life of me, wonder why they believe they deserve more.
Many of them do not have clue of the effect that a strike has and will effect the rest of the industry such as crew members, vendors and support businesses. It’s disgusting how Rosenberg threatens a strike when he and his wife are quite succesful and I’m sure they have enough in the “kitty” to survive any walkout.
Work in LA is slow and a good portion of us are barely hanging on with the collapse of the economy, high energy costs and we’re not quite certain what the future may hold.
SAG. Sign the deal. Take the next three years to organize the unions and make an impact when the next contract expires. You’ll be saving peoples businesses and livelihood.