Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1401622
22 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2021 | sagaftra.org For Members Carteris Takes Leadership Roles in Two International Workers' Rights Organizations S AG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris has joined the ranks of leadership of two prominent international workers' rights organizations. She was elected president of the International Federation of Actors — commonly known as FIA — and to the AFL-CIO's Solidarity Center's Board of Trustees. On May 7, Carteris was elected at FIAs' 22nd World Congress, making her the first American leader in the 70-year-old global union federation. Her duties include fighting to promote collective bargaining, empowering workers and improving working conditions in the media industry while strengthening intellectual property rights. The previous day, Carteris was appointed to the Solidarity Center, the largest U.S.-based international worker rights organization. Allied with the AFL-CIO, the Solidarity Center assists workers across the globe in attaining safe and healthy workplaces, family-supporting wages, and greater equity at work and in their community. "We are artists, media professionals and, above all, we are workers in the entertainment industry. One of the most important things we can do as union leaders is to help leverage workers' power to achieve fair wages, workplace protections and the right to work with dignity. I am especially honored to do this work with the International Federation of Actors and the Solidarity Center in support of SAG-AFTRA members — and all performers around the world — and their future," said Carteris. Important dates for the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® 2021 Monday, Aug. 30 Submissions open at sagawards.org/submissions. Friday, Nov. 5 Submissions close at 5 p.m. PT. Wednesday, Dec. 1 Deadline for paying Nov. 2021 dues and/ or changing address with SAG-AFTRA to be eligible for final balloting. Monday, Dec. 6 Nominations voting opens. 2022 Monday, Jan. 3 Request for final vote paper ballots in lieu of online voting opens. Sunday, Jan. 9 Nominations voting closes at 5 p.m. PT. Wednesday, Jan. 12 Nominations announced. Records pulled for final balloting. Wednesday, Jan. 19 Final voting opens. Friday, Feb. 11 Final day to request paper final ballots in lieu of online voting. Friday, Feb. 25 Final votes must be cast online or ballots received by the elections firm by noon PT. Sunday, Feb. 27 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® live on TNT and TBS. Visit sagawards.org for more information. Stop Unfair Holds for Performers M any SAG-AFTRA recording artists have long been subject to contractual restrictions that keep them from recording for unreasonable periods of time. In addition, an outdated California law keeps them from escaping a bad record deal. Unlike every other personal services contract in California, where the law allows employees to exit an agreement at seven years, recording artists remain stuck. And now, with the rise of streaming television, many SAG-AFTRA actors are being held off the market and unable to work for extended periods of time. Thanks to a new bill, SAG-AFTRA and the Music Artists Coalition, Black Music Action Coalition, Songwriters of North America and the Recording Academy are hoping to change that — and you have an important role to play. AB 1385, known as the FAIR Act — Free Artists from Industry Restrictions — introduced by California State Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, introduces two proposals that, if passed, would put strong worker-friendly limits on artists' being held off the market without work and would limit recording agreements to seven years, just as every other personal services contract in California is limited to seven years. The FAIR Act would eliminate outdated contractual practices, change industry behavior and benefit artists nationwide. To learn more about the FAIR Act and sign the statement of support, visit sagaftra.org/FAIRact. You can also hear an interview with Gonzalez on our podcast at sagaftra.org/podcast. Sign up to support the FAIR Act!