Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/129167
On Location SAG-AFTRA LOCAL LEADER PEGGY O'CONNELL Twin Cities Local President Peggy O'Connell is a proud member actor and singer. Among her many accomplishments, O'Connell received the Twin Cities Drama Critics Circle "Kudos" Award for playing Annie in Annie Get Your Gun. She played Mickey in the touring production of My One & Only, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by San Francisco Critics. She was also nominated for Best Actress in Musical by The Seattle Times for Hello Dolly. Her television credits include the role of Doris on CBS's Northern Exposure, as well as the role of Mrs. Hauer in the feature film Thin Ice. O'Connell has a passion for working with young performers. She has started the local's young performers committee and authored a book titled Charm & Etiquette for the Theatre Artist & Audience to compliment the mentoring work she does with thespians just starting their careers. O'Connell said that a continuing critical priority for SAG-AFTRA is organizing. "We need to continue to work with pre-union members and organize … We are making union history!" In each issue, we proile the president or co-presidents of a SAG-AFTRA Local. Commercials Deal continued from page 14 April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2016. he road to the agreement began in September 2012, with the Wages & Working Conditions process. At meetings from coast to coast, rank-and-ile members were invited to share their concerns and priorities for the irst negotiated commercials contract as a new union. A 34-member negotiating committee (including alternates) carried those concerns to the bargaining table. Negotiations took place in New York between Feb. 14 and April 6. SAG-AFTRA was represented in the commercials negotiations by Reardon, Streamline continued from page 14 better able to protect them wherever they work around the world," National Executive Director David White said. National Co-President Ken Howard said, "Restructuring is a necessary step to ensure sound operating principles, iscal resiliency, long-term sustainability and the realization of our mission to provide strong representation and eicient and efective member services far into the future." "his is a diicult undertaking and we are obligated to be wise stewards of the members' resources while remaining laser-focused on our core union mission," added National CoPresident Roberta Reardon. "We are a national union committed to excellent service in vibrant markets across the country. hat won't change." While the union will continue to have 25 geographic locals, SAG-AFTRA will refocus its footprint to maintain brick-andmortar oices in 15 of these markets, including eight major markets and seven broadcast/emerging markets that together represent more than 93 percent of the union's membership. he eight major markets are Los Angeles, New York, WashingtonMid Atlantic, Chicago, San Francisco, New England, Philadelphia and Miami. he seven broadcast/emerging markets 46 SAG-AFTRA | Spring 2013 | SAGAFTRA.org White, Negotiating Committee Vice Chairs Sue-Anne Morrow, Allen Lulu, Ilyssa Fradin and David Hartley-Margolin, Co-Lead Negotiators Mathis Dunn and Ray Rodriguez, and Senior Advisor John McGuire. he contract now goes before members, who may vote online or, if they prefer, with a traditional paper ballot. All members in good standing as of April 1, 2013, will automatically receive a postcard with voting instructions. he postcard was mailed on or about May 1, 2013. Tabulation of ratiication votes received by the voting deadline of May 31, 2013, 5 p.m. PDT (electronically or by mail) will be completed that day. are Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, Atlanta, Nashville, Hawaii, OhioPittsburgh and Missouri Valley. he 10 locals that will not have brick-and-mortar oices are Arizona-Utah, Colorado, Houston-Austin, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New Orleans, Portland, San Diego and Twin Cities. he geographic restructuring process will take place over the next several months and the plan calls for the creation of a member review committee that will work with the professional staf to review the impact of the transition and report back to the board in April 2014. White says that oice closures will not mean reduced core services or scaled-back representation in the long-term. "We have to think diferently about how we move forward in the world to support over 165,000 professionals who work in front of a camera or behind a microphone around the globe," he added. Also at the plenary, the board heard an update on eforts to merge or create reciprocity between the SAG-Producers Pension & Health Plans and the AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds, which are separate from the union. Conversations continue among the trustees of both organizations, who have formed a working committee to examine the issue. mo 60 exi