SAG Rally this Thursday at Sherman Oaks Galleria!

This just came in from Scott Wilson.

The Rally this week is on Thursday, April 9, 2009 from 11am-2pm at the AMPTP/MPAA offices at the Sherman Oaks Galleria on the NW corner of Ventura and Sepulveda Blvds. Parking in the structure or on side streets.

This is an open invitation to all members of SAG and other unions to join us and fight for our right as professionals to earn a living from our work.

In the Fox 11 News report on last week’s rally: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/AMPTP_Denies_Anti_Trust_Allegations_20090402 the AMPTP calls us “this small fringe group of SAG members”. They forget that there are just 5 or 6 people who control the entire industry – production, distribution and exhibition – that’s a monopoly and restraint of trade.

FACT: Universal owns NBC and Hulu.com
FACT: Disney owns ABC, in talks to buy into Hulu.com, and has agreed to air clips from Disney & ABC on YouTube.com
FACT: Viacom owns Paramount, CBS, CNet.com & TV.com
FACT: News Corp owns Fox studios, Fox network, and stakes in YouTube.com and Hulu.com
FACT: Warner Bros has a huge cable empire and AOL.com FACT: Sony owns Columbia and MGM, Crackle.com and has tv networks reaching 400 million viewers worldwide

This is only a partial listing of these self-dealing monopolies that are engaged in production, distribution and exhibition of entertainment.

AMPTP says “These [anti-trust] issues have nothing to do with our labor negotiations”. Contrary to what they say, it has a profound impact on these negotiations, which amounts to price fixing.

FACT: we will lose $600 million in network move over to streaming
FACT: the fractional pension improvement, one-half of one percent, will be more than wiped out by losses in the move over of 14.8%.
FACT: They get 17 to 24 days of free streaming then pay $22.77 for 6 months of constant streaming.
FACT: pre 1971 movies: no residuals in New Media
FACT: pre 1974 tv series: no residuals in New Media
FACT: Non-union production in New Media
FACT: Product Integration: 2 jobs - 1 paycheck
FACT: Clips: As a condition of employment we lose control of name, voice and likeness

All of these issues are rollbacks.

FIGHT FOR YOUR RESIDUALS, HEALTH COVERAGE AND PENSION BENEFITS

In solidarity
Scott Wilson
Henry Kingi