Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1520149
12 SAG-AFTRA | Spring 2024 | sagaftra.org A Letter from the Secretary-Treasurer Fellow SAGAFTRA Members … Friends, I t's spring, the season of renewal; we have been through so much together, so take a moment and … breathe. Collectively, we successfully weathered the TV/Theatrical/Streaming strike and are on the road to not only recovery, but finding ourselves working a new contract with significant gains. I was thrilled to step onto set in late March for the first time since our TV/ Theatrical Contracts wages and working conditions meetings about a year ago, and I know a lot of you are in similar circumstances. The business landscape of television and film has been drastically rearranged. Not everybody has gone back to work, and the future remains uncertain. As of this writing, we don't know if the Teamsters and IATSE will go on strike, but if they do, we will be there to support them, just as they were there for us. The industry has been in a state of upheaval, and so is the world. It's an election year, a leap year, an Olympic year and a year during which our business can change in a heartbeat. However, take pride and look back at what we've accomplished. For the first time since 1960, we stood shoulder-to- shoulder on the picket lines with our union siblings from the Writers Guild to show AMPTP and the world how strong we are — and who we are. Throughout the strike, our union leadership stood strong for us and had our backs. And on the front lines, we saw unity and solidarity, with SAG-AFTRA members and allies shuffling, marching, shouting and dancing in cities across the nation. You inspired workers around the world, and your efforts resulted in historic contract gains, not the least of which is strong artificial intelligence protections that we have further refined in our TV Animation and Sound Recordings agreements. Speaking of A.I., some people may not want to hear this, but it's here to stay. Our contracts and our approach to protecting members must focus on what is, not what we wish things to be. The technology potentially has important applications in science and medicine, but we will always remain vigilant against abuses that impact our members. Some of those protections we can negotiate at the bargaining table, but it's not enough; we also need legal safeguards. That's why I'm proud to co- chair the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee. We have been busy meeting with state and federal lawmakers on all the issues important to our members. We will have a big presence at hearings in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento this year. In addition to important A.I. protections, we're working on other fronts as well. On the state level, we have been trying to get tax credits restored to keep production domestic. In California, we're also advocating for the return of a bill that will permit striking workers to draw unemployment benefits, after a similar one was vetoed by Gov. Newsom last year. Another priority for us is to keep the conversation going on the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act, which will make critical above-the-line business expense tax deductions available to a broader group of performing artists. As performers, we invest in ourselves, and we should be able to write off our training and associated costs to advance our careers. Whatever category or career you represent, one thing is true of SAG-AFTRA members: We rarely rest. So, I do hope you'll take a moment to savor our victory and enjoy the company of your peers. I've never felt a deeper bond with my fellow members than I have these past months, and I am so, so proud of all we've done together. In this time of uncertainty, remember that something you can always count on is the support of your fellow members. After all, that's what a union is. As always, I am looking out for your health and well-being and am available 24/7. Try me. Always keeping the membership first, Joely Fisher J O E LY F I S H E R "It's an election year, a leap year, an Olympic year and a year during which our business can change in a heartbeat."