Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/555596
SAGAFTRA.org | Summer 2014 | SAG-AFTRA 11 D AV I D W H I T E A Letter from the National Executive Director "… your personal efforts matter. Never forget that you have power and that, collectively, we can change the industries in which you work." information sent to us by members like you. In other words, your personal efforts matter. Never forget that you have power and that, collectively, we can change the industries in which you work. We have held meetings with many agents in L.A. and New York and, via webinar, in locals outside of these two cities. During our sessions, agents asked questions, gave blunt (sometimes very blunt!) feedback, received information about the campaign and provided helpful input on our efforts. We have also met with groups of casting directors to discuss the state of the commercials industry and how to grow union work opportunities. We are scheduling additional meetings with these and other industry partners to continue strengthening relationships as our campaign grows. For us to be successful, we must engage as many players as possible and be open to hearing and learning from each session. Each meeting helps us move forward. Watch for the campaign hashtag #BestInTheBiz on social media and visit our member signup and support center at sagaftra.org/bestinthebiz. To confidentially report information on non-union commercials, call (877) 280-6705 or email nonunionspotinfo@sagaftra.org. We also launched the Web page sagaftra.org/acalltoarts for the White House initiative. Using this website, individuals and organizations can register to partner with SAG-AFTRA, AFI and Dear Member, T he past several months have been filled with the spirit to engage our membership. Key among our initiatives has been the effort to ensure that all commercials are produced under a union contract. Before I summarize our activities, let me get to the punch line: We hope that each of you gets involved. While many of you have attended town halls that we've held in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., we want more of you to attend these member meetings when they occur in your area. A growing number of you have also participated in social media discussions about this initiative, but we want more of you to post on Facebook and Instagram, tweet and re-tweet messages and add your own stories and pictures to this critical, union-wide campaign using whatever vehicle that works best for you. As importantly, send us information about non-union commercials so that we can turn them union. At last count, SAG-AFTRA has caught 40 non- union commercials being produced by advertisers already signed to our commercials contract. In the last weeks alone, we have turned non-union projects union that were produced by a large telecommunications company, a national car company, a household product company and a credit card company. We have accomplished this thanks to the White House for our mentoring and volunteer program, A Call to Arts. Recent partners include Women in Film, Los Angeles Education Partnership and CreativeFuture. Through these and other collaborations, we are delivering on our commitment to mentor and volunteer to the next generation of storytellers and filmmakers in our industry. We are also building bridges to other industry colleagues and community allies, while bringing thousands of hours of mentoring and volunteerism to this terrific initiative. As we approach the end of summer, I want to personally thank and congratulate all SAG-AFTRA elected leaders. Every officer, board member and alternate who served the union over the last two years made a meaningful and valuable contribution on behalf of their fellow members. While some may be moving on, others remain to continue their service and still others will join union governance through the upcoming elections and will have the chance to provide outstanding member representation. We welcome you. For those who will not return, we thank you and wish you farewell and good luck in all things. In unity, David White