SAG-AFTRA

Summer 2020

Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1280987

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 15 of 74

14 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2020 | sagaftra.org Dear Member, T he COVID-19 summer surge that has now spread throughout the country is exacting a staggering toll on people and families across our nation. We feel this with particular intensity within our membership, as so many struggle to stay afloat during this time when such a large sector of the film industry has effectively shut down. SAG-AFTRA has not been immune to the sweeping impact of all this. In April, the National Board took the rare step of passing a budget that contemplates a deficit this fiscal year. The board and staff take great pride in our long record of fiscal efficiency, which typically leads to a budget surplus each year. The next two years will be different, however, and we can see quite clearly the challenging fiscal path ahead of us: the abrupt production shutdown in entertainment and commercials have sharply reduced member earnings this year. That affects our collections this year and will reduce the union's income in the next fiscal year, as dues will be billed on the work that has been interrupted for several months this year. In other words, reduced earnings from members has a compounding effect with which we must contend well after the pandemic ends. To prepare for that sobering reality, we have reduced expenditures in nearly every category, including lowering our staff headcount in offices across the country. This was a necessary, if painful, measure. We remain focused on the core functions of the union and will continue to aggressively pursue technological and other solutions to find operational efficiencies wherever possible to support our membership. Understanding how to keep members pandemic-safe in the wide array of work environments — whether on production sets with other cast and crew or on location as a broadcaster to cover protesters marching through the streets — has proven an enormous challenge. We are rising to that challenge! In collaboration with the guilds and unions within our industry, we have established a set of safety protocols to keep our members as safe as possible when returning to work. Our overall approach is detailed in the joint union document The Safe Way Forward. The document, which can be found on our website, emphasizes an intensive testing program, a "zone system" to achieve the maximum physical distancing, and other measures that are based in science and provide excellent guidance for the discussions in which we are engaged with studios and other employers. As you may know, our health plan is a separate entity from the union, with its own staff and board of trustees (half of whom are union representatives, half management). As the trustees of the plan grapple with rising costs and the fallout of the pandemic, SAG-AFTRA has investigated alternative options for members who may not achieve plan eligibility due to limited work opportunities. There are alternatives that we believe are available to members and that are tailored to fit a variety of individual and family needs. Particularly during this extraordinary time, we want to use our resources in whatever way possible to support members who need help. There will be more information about these options coming to you soon. As we all work to move beyond the worst ravages of COVID-19, I encourage each of us to do our part to stop the virus' continued spread: Please practice social distancing and wear masks when out of the house! Together, we can overcome this pandemic. In unity and looking forward, David White D AV I D W H I T E "Particularly during this extraordinary time, we want to use our resources in whatever way possible to support members who need help." 7-21-94-0 80 70 70 100 10.2 7.4 7.4 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 40 70 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3.1 2.2 2.2 70 40 40 75 66 66 50 40 40 25 19 19 B 0 0 0 0 100 70 30 100 10 25 50 75 90 100 100 60 100 70 30 100 60 40 70 40 70 30 100 40 40 100 40 100 40 70 40 70 40 40 3 40 70 40 70 40 40 100 60 A 3% ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2009

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of SAG-AFTRA - Summer 2020