SAG-AFTRA

Fall / Winter 2022

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14 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2022 | sagaftra.org A Letter from the Secretary-Treasurer Fellow Members of SAG-AFTRA, T he holidays and the start of a new year are fast approaching, and, no doubt like you, these annual milestones always give me pause for reflection and recalibration. First, I want to say how proud I am of all the SAG-AFTRA members and our staff. Thanks to the determination and hard work of leadership and everyone on the union team, some truly groundbreaking rights have been secured for all performers, and that fight continues into the new year, with the promise of further gains. Hotbed issue alert: I have been following the advancements and restructuring of guidelines for self-taping, in particular. We are all aware that due to the lockdown restrictions of the pandemic, auditioning received an overhaul to allow performers to continue to find work. Now that technology is embedded in the process, and while many prefer this highly individualistic creation method, many others of us find old-school, in- person auditions more satisfying and a more enriching experience. And, some of us book more jobs! As we move forward into fewer restrictions, and as a member of the newly formed National Self-Tape Committee, I am keeping engaged with this issue to ensure divergent viewpoints are heard and included. Equally essential, I believe, is engaging with SAG-AFTRA leadership to ensure that as segments of our industry grapple with health concerns for all performers, dropping some guidelines of protection and reinstating others, that we put forth the most sensible guidelines that benefit the greatest number of performers. We all have to make our own choices based on the majority opinion, and I'm looking forward to reviewing the results of the poll recently put out that asks each member to voice their concerns on this topic. This is the main point, in fact, of everything I've reflected on for this past year: engagement. When members take the time to read the SAG-AFTRA positions on topics that affect their lives and career, and then make sure they cast their votes and make their voices heard — this is how we all win in the end. Much like the general election that just concluded, each of us must engage or we are leaving ourselves and our world in the hands of others alone. I pray that we union members consistently show up for our own elections, as well as for our nation — only by being heard will any progress be made. I know that many of us, while concerned about world and national economics, have much more personal situations that are affecting our lives. My family has been hit several times with COVID, so I know how difficult it can be to get through it, especially if falling ill (even when not COVID-related) means work loss. The domino effect then hits your health care, your finances and your overall spiritual outlook. I want to reassure all members that I'm always looking for ways to create support and relief for our most vulnerable members. Looking out for those who need it most isn't just an end-of-the-year holiday concept. I know it just gets more amplified. As this letter goes to print, our nation is facing one of the most consequential elections in modern times. I thought long and hard about every issue, and that is required of each of us if we want this great experiment in liberty to continue. I have faith that we, as artists, are especially in tune with the ideas of freedom and justice. Historically, after the darkest of times comes rebirth, and I look forward to all of the amazing and provocative expressions that come from both our industry and from each of us in this union family. I wish you and your loved ones a safe and healthy holiday season and a prosperous 2023! In service and solidarity — always keeping the membership first, Joely Fisher J O E LY F I S H E R "I want to reassure all members that I'm always looking for ways to create support and relief for our most vulnerable members."

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