Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1520149
6 SAG-AFTRA | Spring 2024 | sagaftra.org A Letter from the President "To honor my dad, I'd like to dedicate this president's letter to Morty Drescher and his unwavering ethical values and respectful treatment of others." Dear Member, M y father passed away on March 20 at 2:10 a.m. ET. It was the day before my parent's 71st wedding anniversary. And after all those years, they were still madly in love with each other. My father was a very smart and funny, all around great guy that everyone loved. He made his living as a systems analyst. Often throughout the strike, I would say, "I am the daughter of a systems analyst, and I inherited his ability to see systems and recognize where they are broken." But he dabbled in acting after he retired and was a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. I think he had the talent for acting as a career had he gone into it from the get-go. But, he wanted a family, and I don't think coming from the world he came from, being an actor was ever really an option but a dream. He was a natural at many other things too, like picking winning horses and football teams as well as playing cards. He loved to recite Casey at the Bat for family gatherings and play golf with his buds. He was never impressed by money but by character, and treated all people, rich or poor, equally. He patiently taught me to ride a bike, swim and drive a car. But more importantly, he taught me what's of most value in this life, and that is a love of family, simple pleasures and having ethics. So, to honor my dad, I'd like to dedicate this president's letter to Morty Drescher and his unwavering ethical values and respectful treatment of others. I wish all of us could feel a responsibility to practice the highest of ethical behavior. To try to devote each day of our lives to being the best we can be. During the strike, it became clear, as time unfolded, who on both sides of the negotiating table disrespected the code of ethics. Those that compromised ethical behavior to drive their point of view not only dishonored the position they held but also disrespected the process, which should have been held to the highest standard by everyone distinguished as a negotiator for the 2023 TV/Theatrical/Streaming contracts. Equality and diversity are both ethically and morally what the entertainment industry should strive for. Optically, we must present all characters onscreen with an intentionally truthful representation of life AS IT IS, and not some able-bodied, whitewashed version that only perpetuates intolerance. Every talent agency, every casting office, every director and every writer should welcome ALL types for every role, wherever plausible, regardless of size, shape, disability, race, orientation or nationality. That's the ethical thing to do on behalf of our members. And on behalf of the planet, every writer, producer and director should normalize eco-responsible living onscreen wherever plausible too. My father was not a religious man. He felt religion fostered most wars throughout history. His only brand of religion was to be kind and caring to everyone. To that end, SAG-AFTRA is not a house of worship, but a labor union for all performers, no matter their faith, nationality or race, to come together as one member body. We unionized to demand respect, compensation and protections from our employers for all our members working around the world. That is all. That is why it exists. But when the seeds of tribalism are planted within a union, it doesn't make us grow stronger but weakens us to our core like a malignancy. This is a common pitfall, but one we should very consciously avoid falling into. Our default should be all for one and one for ALL; not only with whom we identify. Let's get global politics and internal partisanship OUT of our performers labor union and focus this member body on what this union is meant for, unionizing more work and gaining better contracts! When we can join in solidarity with one objective, to improve the entertainment industry for our benefit, we will be unstoppable. My dad always said, "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line." We are a family of performers and broadcasters, and what happens outside stays outside the straight and narrow path we must walk as labor. If we can accomplish that alone and nurture empathy for every member, no matter who they are, no matter where they're from, no matter what their faith, we will not only honor my father — for that is how he lived his life — but, as a labor union, we will be stronger than ever because we got out of our own way! In solidarity, Fran Drescher F R A N D R E S C H E R