Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/821178
Continues from page 13 SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris and members of the merger transition team show off their honorary cards as they gather around a cake celebrating the union's fifth anniversary at SAG-AFTRA Plaza on April 22. vote and the public launch of the member mobile app. She noted that the upcoming Billboard Latin Music Awards will for the first time be covered by SAG-AFTRA and recalled the emotional moment that the Telemundo vote was counted by the National Labor Relations Board in Florida last month. National Executive Director David White updated the board on preparations for the upcoming TV/Theatrical negotiations and provided an overview of recently completed, as well as future contract negotiations that will impact members across multiple industries. Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin and Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto presented the fiscal year 2018 budget. This projection continues to build on the union's trend of multimillion dollar operating surpluses. It was unanimously approved. SAG-AFTRA COMES OUT SWINGING IN DEFENSE OF IMDB LAW I n response to a legal challenge, SAG-AFTRA has declared its commitment to defending a California law that was written to reduce the ageism rampant in the entertainment industry. Last year, thanks largely to the advocacy of the union, its members and allies, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1687 into law. The law requires that operators of subscription- based entertainment casting databases such as IMDb Pro, and any affiliated sites like IMDb, remove subscribers' birthdate and age information on their profile pages upon request. The law went into effect on Jan. 1 and IMDb filed a motion for preliminary injunction a few days later on Jan. 5. On Jan. 9, SAG-AFTRA filed a motion, which was subsequently granted, to join the California attorney general's fight as a defendant to protect the law. In February, a U.S. District judge put the law on hold while the legal battle plays out. "We are disappointed that the court has chosen to temporarily halt the state of California's legal efforts to fully protect its citizens from employment discrimination. We look forward to the upcoming opportunity to present evidence to the court of how this law will reduce or eliminate the age discrimination facilitated by IMDb.com," said SAG-AFTRA Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA is gathering information that could help in the fight, and the union needs your participation. If you are a subscriber to IMDb Pro and have submitted a request to remove your age or birthdate, please fill out the form at sagaftra.org/imdb. That information helps to provide evidence needed to defend members' rights and the law as it makes its way through the legal process.