Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/94610
For Members IMPORTANT NOTICE REMINDER ABOUT MEMBER CATEGORIES AND LOCAL ASSIGNMENT I f you are a SAG-AFTRA member interested in serving your union in the future, this is important information you will want to read. LOCAL ASSIGNMENT In accordance with the principles set forth in Article X(D) of the SAG-AFTRA Merger Agreement, members have been assigned to locals based on a roster of zip code assignments. Local assignment may affect your eligibility to run and serve as a member of the National Board or Local Board and Convention Delegate from your local area in future elections. Your local assignment appears on the paper card carrier that accompanies your new membership card (good thru April 30, 2013). If you do not agree with your current local membership assignment, and would like to change your assignment by Dec. 31 retroactive to the inception of SAG-AFTRA, please contact (323) 549-6458 to submit your request, or you may submit your request by email to local.assignment@sagaſtra.org. For more information about the SAG-AFTRA locals structure, please visit SAGAFTRA.org/locals. MEMBER CATEGORY I n accordance with Article VIII.E. of the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, to be eligible to serve as a category National Vice President a member must have been declared a member of that category for the twelve (12) months prior to the date of his or her nomination. Similar requirements may exist for other elected category representative positions if provided for in the applicable local constitution. Members from any local nationwide may seek nomination. On the November dues bill, members were asked to declare their member category from the options on the list to the right. Members can also update their member category by logging in to their member account at SAGAFTRA.org. Declarations that are made no later than Dec. 31, 2012, will be PRIDE AT WORK F ounder and national co- chair of SAG-AFTRA's National LGBT Committee, Jason Stuart, pictured right, joined about 200 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender union activists at the 2012 Triennial National "Boots on the Ground" Pride at Work (AFL-CIO) Convention in Cleveland in early September, giving a voice to LGBT workers across the labor movement. 22 SAG-AFTRA | Winter 2013 | SAGAFTRA.org deemed to be retroactive to the inception date of SAG-AFTRA. At the conclusion of the last day of this retroactivity period, any member that has not declared a single member category will be assigned to the member category most closely aligned with their prior legacy AFTRA category, if applicable. Members who have no category assignment on file (including those who were solely former SAG members) will be assigned to the Actor/ Performer category until such time as the member elects a different category. hese assignments will also be deemed to be retroactive to the inception date. his selection has no impact on your ability to work under any SAG-AFTRA agreement and will only be used internally National Vice President, Actor/Performers MEMBER CATEGORIES Actor/Performer Singer Dancer Stunt Performer Broadcast/ News & Information Broadcast/ Entertainment for union elections and governance purposes. A BOARD CONSOLIDATES LOCALS t its Oct. 27-28 plenary meeting, the SAG-AFTRA National Board voted to consolidate the union's 33 locals down to 25. Upon merger on March 30, every AFTRA Local and SAG Branch automatically became a local of the new union. he board's action allows it to streamline operations and better serve members. he names of some of the locals have also been changed to better reflect their areas of coverage. See a list of the locals on page 70. National Vice President, Broadcasters National Vice President, Recording Artists Recording Artist P&H/H&R MOVEMENT T he trustees of the SAG-Producers Pension & Health Funds and the AFTRA Health & Retirement Fund have initiated formal communications regarding the issue of reciprocity and, ultimately, merger between the plans. Reciprocity could assist members in qualifying for coverage by combining certain earnings credits for eligibility purposes. Discussions are progressing between the two organizations, which are separate from the union and comprised of boards of trustees made up of equal numbers of representatives appointed by management and the union. he SAG-AFTRA National Board had previously passed a motion urging both sides to begin talks.