Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1486263
112 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2022 | sagaftra.org On Location SAG Founding Member Inducted Into Hall of Fame C urrent and former SAG-AFTRA Michigan Local presidents Eric Wydra and Jayne Bower attended the Labor's International Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Screen Actors Guild co-founder Ralph Bellamy on Sept. 15. Bellamy was founding member No. 51 of Screen Actors Guild in 1933 and served on the board of directors until 1935. During his decades-long career in film, Bellamy was a staunch advocate of organized labor. He later served from 1952–1964 as president of Actors' Equity. He was awarded an honorary Academy Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Labor's International Labor Hall of Fame is located in the Detroit metro and recognizes workers from all fields of work for their contributions to uplift and empower the working class. ● Michigan Local Leaders Create Fun and Community W ith the help of union staff, local leaders put together an educational and fun online orientation for new and seasoned members. Led by Local Board and committee members, the presentation included national and local information about governance, contracts, organizing, getting involved, member benefits and staying informed. It also included a brief history of the union and its main functions. Fun use was made of the technology in the virtual environment, including the Zoom whiteboard and chat activities, electronic trivia and a scavenger hunt with union swag mailed to the trivia winner. One member concluded by saying, "It was great!" ● Arizona-Utah Local President Joe Corcoran and other Local Board and committee members discuss the new member orientation. Arizona- Utah DFW Salutes One of Its Greats A s a way of honoring actor and comedian Ruth Buzzi, the Dallas-Fort Worth Local Board, with the blessing of the National Honors and Tributes Committee, drafted a proclamation of appreciation for the beloved performer. "We ended up with a beautiful design and … took it to Reilly Echols Printing. They are the only [local] union printer I know of," said National and Local Board member Hector Garcia. "Once they saw what we were doing and for whom, he said it would be no charge." Garcia delivered the document, along with a SAG-AFTRA pin, to Buzzi on Labor Day weekend. Her husband Kent Perkins ushered Garcia in, and he found her watching Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In reruns on a large screen TV. The two got acquainted and Garcia read the proclamation aloud. "We had a lovely visit. It was quite an experience," said Garcia. "One thing I will never forget is Kent's reference to Ruthie: 'She will spend her last breath making someone laugh!' That's a life well-lived." ● Ruth Buzzi appeared on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, 1968–73. NBC SAG-AFTRA Michigan Local President Eric Wydra, left, and former Local President Jayne Bower at the Labor's International Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Screen Actors Guild founding member Ralph Bellamy on Sept. 15. REBECCA COOK/LIHF Ralph Bellamy Dallas- Fort Worth