Thursday, May 12, 2011
May, 2011 Nevada Actor SAG National Board Report
SAG National Board Report, April 2011
“The message from SAG and AFTRA members across the country has been clear — they want this done as soon as possible. If our boards approve the merger plan in January, our members will make the final decision through a referendum vote less than a year from now. I’m proud that we’ve taken a major step today, and I’m extremely grateful for the unanimous support of the SAG National Board. I also want to thank AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon, whose remarkable leadership has been essential in bringing us to this point.” — SAG President Ken Howard
National Board ReportBy Art Lynch
Being on the National Board of Screen Actors Guild is an exercise in marketing, legal issues, both the macro and the micro scale of the industry, political manipulations and much more.
The day-to-day work of a National Board member involves phone calls, email, instant messaging, chat lines, PowerPoint presentations and lots of reading and research.
The workload involves statistics, spreadsheets, conferences, debates and relationships with other nationally elected officers and national staff, patience, action when needed, strong listening skills, and persuasive skills. The work requires knowledge of a wide range of areas within the industry, of the differences in geography, and of differences in contract use for the regions and Branches. Board members must focus on anticipating change and keeping local, regional and national members in mind, as well as performers who will become a part of the union and an asset to SAG in the future.
Board meetings are long, sometimes exciting, often tedious and always essential. While the heavy and hateful politics of recent years are behind us, there remain disagreements and differences in priorities in use of contract, amount of work under contract, geography, skill level and membership representation priorities.
The board duties and activities are not just a question of attending meetings. They include keeping the Branch president and councils informed and allowing them the opportunity to represent Nevada on national committees and at national meetings, as those opportunities arise.
The work starts locally and expands to national, with committees, work groups, research, sidebar conversations, email chains, Skype
and Go to Meeting sessions, and much more.
and Go to Meeting sessions, and much more.
One Union
The most vital issue of the past few years, and in the year ahead, is movement toward one union. I am active on several work groups to make sure Nevada and small Branches are a key part of what will be the highest profile and most powerful entertainment union in the world.
If the members approve it “and the creek don’t rise,” we will be one union a year from now, with board consideration in January 2012.
Merger
“The message from SAG and AFTRA members across the country has been clear — they want this done as soon as possible. If our boards approve the merger plan in January, our members will make the final decision through a referendum vote less than a year from now. I’m proud that we’ve taken a major step today, and I’m extremely grateful for the unanimous support of the SAG National Board. I also want to thank AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon, whose remarkable leadership has been essential in bringing us to this point.” — SAG President Ken Howard
On April 30, The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors unanimously approved the creation of a Merger Task Force to work with their AFTRA counterparts in developing a formal plan to unite SAG and AFTRA members in one union.
You may be asked to vote on the creation of a new union early next year.
There will be sacrifices to profit from the benefits of a single union. Dues for single-card holders (most of our Nevada membership) may go to finance organizing that will result in greater work opportunities.
Competition between AFTRA and SAG is growing in the television and new media areas, both of which are growing in size and dollars as film (theatrical) remains stable and the future of commercials remains technologically uncertain. With one union, you have a unified effort instead of two competing unions fighting for income and survival.
The growth is in the lower-budget areas of television and film production, areas where a unified performers’ union will be in a position to organize, increasing work for our membership.
“The entertainment industry is undergoing a transformation, and the only way for middle-class performers to remain strong is to have one union fighting for them with a unified strategy. I’m excited to be a part of making that happen.” — SAG 1st Vice President Ned Vaughn.
Your help and comments are needed
The presidents of both national unions have been on a “listening tour” across the country. They are now requesting feedback and ideas through your elected National Board representatives.
I am interested in your feedback and ideas, questions and observations.
We are seeking your direct feedback to several questions:
1. How are you working differently than five years ago? How has the work changed?
2. What do you want to see in a merged union?
3. How have non-union qualified performers impacted your work opportunities? What can be done to create more union work and minimize use of non-union talent?
4. How have your employers changed from five years ago?
5. What could a merged union do for you? What are your ideas on how to accomplish this?
Please submit your comments to me, trough the SAG office, at Steven.Clinton@sag.org.
This is a time for union pride
The National Legislative Committee’s focus is on battling anti-union movements and legislation in many areas, including right-to-work expansion and attempts to erode union security; working to expand and counter repeals of location-based film incentives; strengthening the protection of our young performers; and protecting members rights wherever and whenever required. Celebrity and rank-and-file members have made a difference in Wisconsin, Michigan and many other states, including advancement of film incentive legislation in the Nevada Legislature.
A Wired World: We need your help
Working actors know that being connected on the Internet is essential to being a performer in this new age of entertainment. Submissions are often by computer, with auditions on Web cameras. Scripts and notices come over email or Facebook. Talent showcases their work on websites and in social media.
The Screen Actors Guild is aware of this, and of the opportunity it provides to save dues money and increase immediacy in all communications. The amount of print materials you receive will continue to decrease, while online increases in importance.
We have a commitment to online rapid communications with members and the community using email broadcasts, Facebook, Twitter and other media and social media.
and other media and social media.
You can help your fellow actors by encouraging them to have email, to keep their email information up to date with the Guild, to check the SAG website and keep in touch electronically with our SAG office. Nevada Executive Steve Clinton and the Nevada Organizing Committee are ready to help anyone who needs assistance in converting to the Internet age of communication. By offering your help or passing names and emails of members on to the SAG office, you can help ensure that as close as possible to 100 percent of Nevada members are informed and active.
Organizing
SAG is organizing work in all areas, with a focus on new media, low budget and localized work for Nevada and other markets. I am active on several national committees in this area. Much of the work remains confidential for reasons that I am willing to explain one on one, or our executive can address it as an organizing and contract professional.
The Guild is making the most of our dues by doing more for less, using automation, shifting how services are delivered and renewing focus on essentials needed to allow the Guild to improve member services, including contract enforcement, on an ever-tightening budget.
Residuals and other programs are being automated and computerized whenever possible, speeding the process and minimizing human error.
An online signatory process for producers is becoming a reality, making it easier to access information, fill out paperwork and file it with the Guild. Of particular interest is that all filmmakers, at all budget levels, including students, can now have access to SAG talent. Nevada has already picked up ultra-low budget productions using the online application process.
As co-chair of the national New Media and Web Committees, and an active member of the National Communications Committee, I can report on improvements, upgrades and increased use of SAG on the Web. It is there for you to use and to pass on to anyone interested in our industry. We are working on improvements in navigation of the website, growth of recently launched sites to help young performers, and potential upgrades for iActor.
We have overseen improvements in SAG TV and the resources it offers for talent at all levels of the industry. SAG TV and our relationships with the SAG Foundation provide a wealth of information about the industry, contracts and how to navigate life as a professional performer. There are archiveshere and here.
I also encourage you to stay on top of the increased benefits for SAG members though Union Plus (AFL-CIO) and SAG-generated cooperative ventures with businesses. For updates, click here.
Thank you
Join me in wishing the best and a rapid recovery for President Barbara Grant.
We all should thank Vice President Arttours Weeden, the officers and the Nevada Branch Council for their aggressive work on behalf of the membership. We are, thanks to them, a very active Branch in every way, including organizing, legislative, our conservatory, keeping our executive informed and continuing our more than 35 years as an activist SAG-only Branch of the Screen Actors Guild.
And a special thank you to Nevada Executive Steve Clinton for his work on our legislative initiatives, in organizing work, in protecting our wages and working conditions and membership services.
Have a great summer…hopefully with both work and relaxation.
Art Lynch
Friday, May 6, 2011
This Web Site: Policies and Referral
For official Nevada Branch posts go to http://www.sag.org/branches/nevada.
To contact Nevada SAG Executive Director Steve Clinton and the Nevada office, e-mail Steven.Clinton@SAG.org
For unofficial posts on film, television, theater, material for students (including those who are pre-union) and on SAG, as selected and edited by myself, check SAG Actor (updated daily) at http://sagactor.blogspot.com.
For my personal blog, which also serves communication, journalism, education and other students, go to http://art-lynch.blogspot.com
-Art Lynch
NevadaSAG@me.com
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
35 years of union in Nevada, Happy Birthday SAG
We are Union
By Art Lynch
National Board Director, Nevada
Wages and working conditions are the foundation of any union. They keep us safe and pay a fair wage. Collective bargaining is how we negotiate to secure the foundation our members need (union wages are a floor, not a set rate or ceiling). Right now the collective bargaining rights of many of our brothers and sisters are under attack in Wisconsin and at least two other states. Quite simply, we cannot afford for the recession and resulting budget deficits to be used as an excuse to weaken union protections and our ability to represent each other as brothers and sisters to negotiate for safety, security and a fair wage. I urge Nevada SAG members to do all we can to support our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Do not for a moment think that this is not your fight. We also have a target painted on our backs by the same forces behind any attempt to weaken our fellow unions in the public sector.
More Than 35 Years of Union Activism
Working conditions also led to the birth of the Nevada Branch. While on the set of the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever, SAG members from Nevada were exposed to conditions they considered abusive. With the help of National, they stood up and changes were made. That passion led to the organic growth of the Nevada Branch, officially added to the Guild’s branch system 35 years ago.
I urge you to attend the March 27 Nevada SAG membership meeting to celebrate our birthday!
More Than 20 Years of Guild Service
At our membership meeting, we will also honor the longest-serving president in Nevada SAG history, Steve Dressler. As most of you know, I worked with Steve on the council when I was Branch president and as your elected representative on the National Board of Directors. While he modestly does not advertise it, Steve pulled no punches in talking with staff, officers and National Board members as he worked effectively to represent Nevada’s membership.
Together, we helped bring an office and local executives to Nevada to expand our background zone, to raise national recognition of the needs of all Branches operating under the federally mandated limitations of “right-to-work” laws, and to keep Nevada high on the radar of board members from Los Angeles, New York and other Branches. Most of the work of a Branch president is done in committees, in sidebar conversations and in more paperwork than most of us can appreciate.
Our Birthday Celebration
Please join me in thanking Steve Dressler, President Barbara Grant, your Nevada Branch officers and council, and all those who have served the Nevada membership as we celebrate our official birthday.
Merger
Many members have asked if we are closer to a merger with AFTRA. Yes, but that does not mean it will be a done deal.
The national presidents and the boards of both unions are committed to the need to join together as the power wielded by management increases, technology blurs the lines and opposition to, or a misunderstanding of, unions spreads in geography and numbers.
In truth, when change comes, it will most likely take the form of a new union with its roots and history in both Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
But When?
As soon as possible is the best answer, but that could, for legal, logistical and political reasons, be a year or years away. The unions need to continue in the best interests of their membership as we focus on joint negotiations, organizing in a difficult marketplace and providing for the needs of our members. And as occurred the last two times the unions worked to join together, the will of the membership as ballots hit the mailboxes will leave any future uncertain up until the final moments.
What Can I Do?
For now, focus on helping President Grant, our Executive Director Steve Clinton and your council build the Nevada Branch and continue to keep us active and strong.
Support Local Employment
Support – within the limits of the SAG rules we are bound to as members of a union, such as Rule One, which states that you may not work non-union – all Nevada-based production and talent industry-based companies. Show them SAG is on their side. Encourage them to use SAG talent and sign SAG contracts. This includes working only through SAG franchised agents. Every dime a non-union agent (or manager working incorrectly as an agent) earns is a dime that discourages our growing union agent pool from following the rules and supporting our union.
Encourage SAG Signatory Status
You have the power to nudge employers toward becoming signatory to our contracts. When we had a physical office, there were seven local signatories. Today we have none. True, in many cases those companies used primarily out-of-town talent, but then so do films, industrials and commercials coming to town. The opportunity for locals can only grow if we are ready and willing to work, and if the work opportunities are there in the first place. A first step is to increase the amount of union work on the plate.
Be Prepared and Professional on the Set
Do the job you are hired to do and do it to the best of your professional training, ability and desire.
Encourage Others to Join the Nevada Branch
The reality is that there is strength, financing and political voice in numbers. Qualified professional talent, particularly those in the younger age groups and needed ethnic representation, must be encouraged to join our Branch as union actors. If they do not, the non-union talent pool will remain strong enough to discourage the use of union actors. As always, the members of other branches who live in Nevada need to be encouraged to join the Branch. Whether their manager or agent handles money in another city, or they still identify with where they used to live, we need their support and membership to strengthen the state in which they live! It is that simple…we need them.
Become Active in a Committee
As members, you can take the lead on all of these actions and more, in the name of strengthening our union, thanking our union for what it has done, giving back to our union and in the drive for more union work in Nevada. Individual actions are strong and require no cooperation. Groups and active committees can combine talents and drive into a sum greater than the individual parts. I encourage such a committee to be considered by the membership, and come from the membership level up.
I am looking forward to seeing you at our March 27 membership meeting.
National Board Director, Nevada
Wages and working conditions are the foundation of any union. They keep us safe and pay a fair wage. Collective bargaining is how we negotiate to secure the foundation our members need (union wages are a floor, not a set rate or ceiling). Right now the collective bargaining rights of many of our brothers and sisters are under attack in Wisconsin and at least two other states. Quite simply, we cannot afford for the recession and resulting budget deficits to be used as an excuse to weaken union protections and our ability to represent each other as brothers and sisters to negotiate for safety, security and a fair wage. I urge Nevada SAG members to do all we can to support our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Do not for a moment think that this is not your fight. We also have a target painted on our backs by the same forces behind any attempt to weaken our fellow unions in the public sector.
More Than 35 Years of Union Activism
Working conditions also led to the birth of the Nevada Branch. While on the set of the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever, SAG members from Nevada were exposed to conditions they considered abusive. With the help of National, they stood up and changes were made. That passion led to the organic growth of the Nevada Branch, officially added to the Guild’s branch system 35 years ago.
I urge you to attend the March 27 Nevada SAG membership meeting to celebrate our birthday!
More Than 20 Years of Guild Service
At our membership meeting, we will also honor the longest-serving president in Nevada SAG history, Steve Dressler. As most of you know, I worked with Steve on the council when I was Branch president and as your elected representative on the National Board of Directors. While he modestly does not advertise it, Steve pulled no punches in talking with staff, officers and National Board members as he worked effectively to represent Nevada’s membership.
Together, we helped bring an office and local executives to Nevada to expand our background zone, to raise national recognition of the needs of all Branches operating under the federally mandated limitations of “right-to-work” laws, and to keep Nevada high on the radar of board members from Los Angeles, New York and other Branches. Most of the work of a Branch president is done in committees, in sidebar conversations and in more paperwork than most of us can appreciate.
Our Birthday Celebration
Please join me in thanking Steve Dressler, President Barbara Grant, your Nevada Branch officers and council, and all those who have served the Nevada membership as we celebrate our official birthday.
Merger
Many members have asked if we are closer to a merger with AFTRA. Yes, but that does not mean it will be a done deal.
The national presidents and the boards of both unions are committed to the need to join together as the power wielded by management increases, technology blurs the lines and opposition to, or a misunderstanding of, unions spreads in geography and numbers.
In truth, when change comes, it will most likely take the form of a new union with its roots and history in both Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
But When?
As soon as possible is the best answer, but that could, for legal, logistical and political reasons, be a year or years away. The unions need to continue in the best interests of their membership as we focus on joint negotiations, organizing in a difficult marketplace and providing for the needs of our members. And as occurred the last two times the unions worked to join together, the will of the membership as ballots hit the mailboxes will leave any future uncertain up until the final moments.
What Can I Do?
For now, focus on helping President Grant, our Executive Director Steve Clinton and your council build the Nevada Branch and continue to keep us active and strong.
Support Local Employment
Support – within the limits of the SAG rules we are bound to as members of a union, such as Rule One, which states that you may not work non-union – all Nevada-based production and talent industry-based companies. Show them SAG is on their side. Encourage them to use SAG talent and sign SAG contracts. This includes working only through SAG franchised agents. Every dime a non-union agent (or manager working incorrectly as an agent) earns is a dime that discourages our growing union agent pool from following the rules and supporting our union.
Encourage SAG Signatory Status
You have the power to nudge employers toward becoming signatory to our contracts. When we had a physical office, there were seven local signatories. Today we have none. True, in many cases those companies used primarily out-of-town talent, but then so do films, industrials and commercials coming to town. The opportunity for locals can only grow if we are ready and willing to work, and if the work opportunities are there in the first place. A first step is to increase the amount of union work on the plate.
Be Prepared and Professional on the Set
Do the job you are hired to do and do it to the best of your professional training, ability and desire.
Encourage Others to Join the Nevada Branch
The reality is that there is strength, financing and political voice in numbers. Qualified professional talent, particularly those in the younger age groups and needed ethnic representation, must be encouraged to join our Branch as union actors. If they do not, the non-union talent pool will remain strong enough to discourage the use of union actors. As always, the members of other branches who live in Nevada need to be encouraged to join the Branch. Whether their manager or agent handles money in another city, or they still identify with where they used to live, we need their support and membership to strengthen the state in which they live! It is that simple…we need them.
Become Active in a Committee
As members, you can take the lead on all of these actions and more, in the name of strengthening our union, thanking our union for what it has done, giving back to our union and in the drive for more union work in Nevada. Individual actions are strong and require no cooperation. Groups and active committees can combine talents and drive into a sum greater than the individual parts. I encourage such a committee to be considered by the membership, and come from the membership level up.
I am looking forward to seeing you at our March 27 membership meeting.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Nevada SAG Membership Meeting to honor Steve Dressler and Branch's 35th Birthday
will be held at Teamsters Hall Local 631 on
Sunday, March 27. Only dues current members
of the Nevada Branch may attend.
We will celebrate the branch's official 35th birthday,
and honor long time Branch President Steve Dressler.
Friday, February 25, 2011
What is at risk in Wisconsin is our future
Dear SAG Members:
In Wisconsin and around our country, the American Dream is under fierce attack. On Saturday, February 26, at noon local time, Rally to Save the American Dream is organizing rallies in front of every statehouse and in every major city to stand in solidarity with the people of Wisconsin. Please join your fellow union members, the AFL-CIO and other supporters in front of your statehouse. Please click here to find information about a rally in your area.
Although Screen Actors Guild is a non-partisan organization, and therefore does not take positions on some of the demands of Save the American Dream, we unequivocally stand together with them, and with all working families, to end the attacks on worker’s rights. If collective bargaining rights can be stripped away in a strong union state like Wisconsin, it can happen anywhere. Various anti-labor bills have recently been introduced in dozens of states. And, it is believed that if this action succeeds in Wisconsin, more and more anti-union efforts may spread across the country and ultimately could affect all labor organizations, including Screen Actors Guild.
All workers have a fundamental right to join unions and to engage in collective bargaining over workplace issues they face.
-From SAG National
Monday, February 21, 2011
SAG supports Wisconsin Workers
As you may have heard, there is a proposal currently before the Wisconsin legislature that will strip most of the collective bargaining rights from that state’s public workers. If passed, this action could have lasting and damaging consequences for union rights across the country.
Since our founding in 1933, Screen Actors Guild has strongly supported the rights of entertainment industry workers and all workers to join together and collectively bargain with employers. Collective bargaining insures that unions and employers negotiate together in the best interests of the members. Many in the labor movement believe that this type of proposal may spread across the country and ultimately, to labor organizations like Screen Actors Guild, with potentially devastating results for our members and for the entertainment industry.
We are taking action to support our fellow union members in Wisconsin. SAG has reached out to our members in and around Wisconsin and many of them are already on the ground in Madison. We are also reaching out to our highly recognizable members and legislative committee leadership to travel, with our organizing staff, to Wisconsin this week. We also ask that you take part in this effort by speaking your mind on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and by voicing your support for Wisconsin union members and the right of all workers to join together and collectively bargain.
, and by voicing your support for Wisconsin union members and the right of all workers to join together and collectively bargain.David White
National Executive Director
Screen Actors Guild
To find out more about rallies and support actions happening in cities across the country, please contact Nancy Fox at nfox@sag.org.
For more information, please visit the AFL-CIO website at:
You can also support the effort via social networking sites:
On Facebook (comments are welcome) at:
Screen Actors
We Are One http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/werunited
Use hash tags #wiunions on the SAG Twitter handles:
@screenactors
@sagnews
Screen Actors Guild
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Screen Actors Guild President Ronald Reagan
February 6, 2011: The Ronald Reagan Centennial
Before he became the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan was president of Screen Actors Guild – during two significant periods.Reagan, who began his career as a star of radio, film and television, first served the Guild as president from March 1947 through November 1952 (after serving previously as 3rd vice president and on the board). During this period, storied for its political and labor strife, his leadership paved the way for SAG’s first contract in television, among other accomplishments.
At the request of the SAG National Board, Reagan returned to the SAG presidency in 1959 in order to head 1960 theatrical negotiations that ultimately resulted in the first pension and health plan for SAG members, not to mention residuals on films shot January 31, 1960, and after (once they were replayed on television).
On the anniversary of what would have been his 100th birthday today, Screen Actors Guild salutes the American icon for his acting legacy, his lasting contributions to the betterment of all professional actors through Guild leadership, and for his service to the country as a public servant.
You can read more about Reagan in the Screen Actor magazine “Snapshot” on page 68 of the Fall/Winter 2010 digital issue and at reagancentennial.com.
April 9, 1947: New SAG President Ronald Reagan at podium at the Hollywood Legion Stadium at a special informational membership meeting on proposals for upcoming theatrical negotiations.
I
November 21, 1960: SAG Annual Membership Meeting at the Beverly Hilton. In a meeting led by newly-elected President George Chandler, who had served as president since Ronald Reagan’s resignation in June. At this meeting, Reagan is presented with a gold and black marble pen and pencil desk set, inscribed:
“To Ronald Reagan, whose unselfish leadership and devotion to the welfare of his fellow actors have gained him the affection of all in the Screen Actors Guild, this token of appreciation is presented by the Board of Directors on behalf of the membership at the Annual Meeting, November 21, 1960.”
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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
SAG NV Branch Gala Viewing Party
SAG NV Branch is throwing a Gala Viewing Party to watch the LIVE broadcast of the 17th Annual SAG Awards on Jan 30, 2011 at 5pm (Pacific Time) at Tommy Rocker’s - the same place we held the WILDLY successful SAG Holiday Mixer 2010! Tommy Rockers is (again) giving us Happy Hour Food & Beverage prices, so why not come join us for food, fun and camaraderie. “What good is sitting alone in your room? Come here the music play.”
Chris Rogers is Chair (again) for this event. So if you came to the Holiday Mixer (and even if you didn’t), please join us for the Awards Show.
SSSSh, Super Secret Info: Our Branch will be mentioned during the Broadcast!
Only ACTIVE/PAID UP SAG NV Branch members (and 1 guest) can vote/and/or attend. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet for the event, please email your:
· SAG Name·
SAG ID#·
Name of Guest
to sclinton@sag.org
or call 702.513.1520
Saturday, January 15, 2011
More films available for SAG Members on iTunes
http://www.sagawards.org/voting for information on how SAG members can watch and evaluate this year's nominees and how to vote on-line.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
SAG Awards Party Open to the Public, January 30, 5 to 9 PM
Join Us for SAG Awards Viewing
The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be held on January 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific, and the SAG Nevada Branch is throwing a gala viewing party to watch the live broadcast at Tommy Rocker’s! Tommy Rocker’s is (again) giving us happy hour food and beverage prices, so why not come join us for food, fun and camaraderie instead of watching it at home? Please join your SAG Nevada Branch brothers and sisters as we watch our fellow Guild members on the SAG Awards show.Only active, paid-up SAG Nevada members, plus one guest, may attend. Please e-mail Branch Executive Director Steve Clinton at sclinton@sag.org or call (702) 737-8818, option 3, to reserve your spot or ask questions you may have about the event. Tommy Rocker’s Mojave Beach Bar & Grill is located at 4275 Dean Martin Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89103.
As always, we will need volunteers to help make the event another success. If you’d like to help, contact SAG Nevada Branch President Barbara Grant at nevadapresident@sag.org.
Sign up at http://sagawardsRSVP.org for info on studio screenings. Most are in Los Angeles and New York.
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