Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/716514
SAGAFTRA.org | Summer 2016 | SAG-AFTRA 27 1. Carteris meets with U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez in Washington, D.C., on May 2. 2. Carteris with National Executive Director David White, director David O. Russell and Whoopi Goldberg at a dinner honoring A Call to Arts and the Ghetto Film School on March 30 in New York. 3. Carteris shows her SAG-AFTRA card alongside members of the Washington- Mid Atlantic Local during the local's annual membership meeting on May 2. 4. Carteris with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, after accepting her appointment to the AFL-CIO Executive Council. 5. Carteris speaks at a "Rebels and Rulebreakers" panel celebrating the women of Netflix on May 13. Beverly Hills, 90210 and other film and television work was established through SAG-AFTRA's past negotiations. "I had health coverage and support from my unions as I went through the legal process," she added. "I couldn't do it alone and I realized just how crucial a union is." Soon after returning from Canada, Carteris was elected to AFTRA's Los Angeles Local Board. Later, she became one of a few leaders to serve jointly on both the AFTRA National Board and SAG National Board. In 2011, her service expanded when she was elected AFTRA's Los Angeles Local president and national 2nd vice president. Meanwhile, Carteris shared the frustration felt by many union performers at that time, with her work split between two labor groups with shared goals. As a result, she started meeting regularly with performers, including Ken Howard, Ned Vaughn and others, who envisioned a robust, merged union. "I truly believe in merger," she said. "Many a night we sat at my kitchen table and others to talk about how to reach the membership." It was during one of these kitchen- table meetings at Carteris' home that the late Howard decided to run for the SAG presidency, a decision she strongly encouraged. "True leadership isn't just in what we do, but how we support others to do it as well," Carteris said. Following the 2012 merger, she served as co-president of the L.A. Local and national vice president, Los Angeles. During Howard's presidency, at the inaugural SAG-AFTRA convention in 2013, Carteris was elected executive vice president, a position she held until April 2016, when the National Board elected her president in a historic vote. During her first months in office, Carteris has seized every opportunity to meet with members. "It's really a humbling experience to be in this position as president," she said. "People do want to be a part of the conversation and they want to be heard and seen, and that's very promising for our union." Carteris describes her rigorous travel schedule as a "listening tour," visiting members nationwide to hear their concerns. She has spoken to the Broadcast Steering Committee in New York, sat down with local members in Philadelphia and New England and presided over P&H presentations in New York and Los Angeles, as well conducting webinars for members across the country. But it's not all meetings and boardrooms. She has joined members in New York's Pride March, toured NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., and interviewed Kerry Washington in Los Angeles. "I'm really excited by the members," she said. "Every time I travel — and I'm traveling a lot — I'm reminded of their commitment and I'm excited to see their willingness to jump in. As president, my job is to help the members and the union be effective." One of Carteris' top priorities is organizing. In July, she flew to San Francisco to speak at a Save Local Radio rally outside ILWU Local 34 near AT&T Park to advocate for members at all- sports station KNBR, who are in talks with Cumulus Media over a first contract. Steve Fishman, a producer at KNBR, said the members appreciated Carteris' show of support. "It means everything to be represented by this union and we at KNBR are happy to have the support of our national president," Fishman said. An active president, Carteris crisscrosses the country working for members. She was the union's voice in D.C., where she 1 3 4 5