Anne-Marie Johnson letter from SAG's eNewsletter

I’m glad that Anne-Marie Johnson still has a voice on SAG and that, thankfully, she isn’t afraid to let it be heard.

I truly don’t understand why they SAG has not sent out a strike authorization vote. Is it because the moderate board knows the rank and file members will vote to strike?

1ST VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

By Anne-Marie Johnson

The following is my opinion. I am not speaking on behalf of Screen Actors Guild:

Why hasn’t SAG sent out a strike authorization ballot?

The simple answer is that the vast majority of the Hollywood Division Board has constantly voted to send out the SAV (strike authorization vote). But the majority of the National Board, with a handful of Hollywood Board members voting with the New York and Regional Branch boards, has refused to allow the membership, the ultimate authority within SAG, their right to vote on the strike authorization or the AMPTP’s “last, best and final offer.”

On February 17, 2009, the newly formed TV/Theatrical Task Force, under the leadership of newly appointed Chief Negotiator John McGuire, resumed negotiations with the AMPTP. After three days of negotiations, the AMPTP presented its LBF offer, which was found unacceptable by McGuire and the task force.

During the National Board meeting on February 21, 2009, a motion to reject the LBF offer was made and approved. Yet, once again, there was little-to-no support from the aforementioned board members to send out the SAV or the AMPTP’s LBF offer along with the rejection. And once again, the majority of the board has denied SAG members the right to vote.

From the conclusion of our Wages and Working Conditions committee meetings in March 2008, to the February 21, 2009, board meeting, I have been and will remain a strong advocate of sending out a SAV, as have been the majority of the disbanded TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee. Unfortunately, not enough members of the “moderate” board majority share in that advocacy. Some have been very public with their disdain for the SAV, lending their names to petitions, open letters and articles, disparaging and undermining the hard work done by former Chief Negotiator/NED Doug Allen and the Negotiating Committee.

If not the SAV, why not send out the LBF offer? What are we waiting for? In my opinion, the deal is not going to improve. Please log onto AMPTP.org to read the AMPTP’s LBF offer, if you haven’t done so already. It is a BAD DEAL. Forty-four days of actual negotiations, two days of mediation and three days of resumed negotiations with the revamped task force proved that the AMPTP had/has no intention of working with SAG to create an acceptable deal, potentially securing labor peace for years to come–regardless of who was sitting across the negotiating table.

The Hollywood Division represents roughly 70,000 members, generating more than 65 percent of the earnings under the TV/Theatrical Contract. It is the responsibility of all of us to be as involved and informed as we can be. If you are fed up with the delays and want to either vote on the SAV or the LBF offer, as soon as possible, please let YOUR union know. Contact contract2009@sag.org. Get involved. Be heard.