Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1486263
28 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2022 | sagaftra.org For Members Leaders Receive Howard Keel Award S AG-AFTRA Vice President, Broadcasters Bob Butler and former Vice President, Mid-Sized Locals Ilyssa Fradin are the 2022 recipients of the Howard Keel Award for their significant contributions to the union. The Howard Keel Award, which is the highest honor given by the SAG-AFTRA Committee of Locals, was presented at the committee's virtual awards ceremony on Oct. 21. The award, which was created in 2008, is named after the late actor and singer Howard Keel, who served as the Screen Actors Guild's 10th president. Butler's exemplary service to SAG-AFTRA and legacy AFTRA spans four decades, beginning on the AFTRA San Francisco Local Board in 1997. Nationally, he served on the AFTRA National Board, as well as a vice president from 2002 until merger in 2012. Additionally, he was a participant on the Group for One Union Committee, crafting the merger of SAG and AFTRA. Butler has been a member of the National Board of SAG-AFTRA since its inception and is now serving his third term as vice president, broadcasters. Fradin is an actor who first became involved in SAG at the Chicago Branch, later moving on to the Regional Branch Division and then to its successor after merger, the Committee of Locals. She was a founding member of the Group for One Union (G1), which worked on the 2011–2012 merger campaign and afterward served on the G1 Committee as a founding member. She has served three terms as vice president, mid-sized locals, over four years on the National Board, as well as in a multitude of other positions. Back-to-Work Agreement Modified, Extended T he DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, Teamsters and the Hollywood Basic Crafts announced on Oct. 26 the extension of the COVID-19 Safety Agreement through Jan. 31, 2023. The agreement maintains the multifaceted approach that has kept the industry working safely since shortly after the onset of the pandemic. The extension maintains core protocols while permitting minor modifications reflecting improved conditions in most areas. In addition, the agreement again grants a bank of six additional sick days reflecting the shorter term of this extension. The new agreement requires the strictest protocols be implemented on productions occurring in any metropolitan area or county with 14 or more COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population. This is a reasonable and appropriate modification in the trigger given the current environment. The agreement also gives productions the option of a daily antigen testing regime for Zone A during a surge in which the production reverts back to the more stringent Part 1 mandatory protocols. Importantly, employers retain the right to adopt more stringent requirements regarding masking and testing on a production-by-production basis and to mandate that employees in Zone A be up to date on their vaccinations. Other than these modifications, all other provisions remain in full force and effect. In all cases, the full set of stricter protocols will be reintroduced if there is a COVID-19 surge over the winter. The parties will continue closely monitoring COVID-19 developments. Butler Fradin Dubbing Provides New Opportunities for Spanish- Language Performers T he SAG-AFTRA President's Task Force on Education, Outreach & Engagement hosted Spanish-Language Seminar: Dubbing/Seminario en Español: Doblaje on Oct. 29. SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and National Spanish-Language Media Committee Chair Hernán de Béky hosted the online panel, which featured National Spanish-Language Media Committee Vice Chair Memo Sauceda, National Organizing Committee Chair Ellen Crawford and members Jaime Camil, Ben Diskin, Ana Carolina Grajales and Victor Mares. Topics included ways to find dubbing work and the new opportunities for Spanish-language actors under the 2022 Netflix Agreement. EVGENIY SHKOLENKO/GETTY IMAGES