Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538243
6 SAG-AFTRA | Summer 2025 | sagaftra.org A Letter from the President "The global perception is that we are labor leaders inspiring workers in all industries …" Well Members, T his will be the last letter I will write to you as SAG-AFTRA president. I have decided, after four incredible years at the head of this incredible union, to move on to new challenges and experiences. I know, and I think you agree, that we have a union we can be proud of, and it's all because of the togetherness we now share. Sure we have our disagreements, but at the end of the day we must always remember we are on the same side and should never allow anything to weaken us, because divided we fall. Over the last four years, huge sweeping brushstrokes of fresh paint have swept across the blank canvas that began my presidency. We've been through a lot, but together we discovered our strength as a member body, rose to the top of the entertainment unions, as not just the largest but now the most powerful, and found our equilibrium where we now stand, both tall and proud. Collaborating and working together means EVERYTHING when it comes to power at the negotiating table. This is so important to our success it must be continuously reinforced. The strike was a huge success that resulted in a billion-dollar deal and carved new inroads of revenue that never existed before. It ignited labor union pride in industries around the world AND put us in a highly respected position in D.C., at the AFL-CIO, amongst our sister unions and in the eyes of our employers. Time and patience became the "secret sauce" and essential for our SUCCESS. Moving forward, remember, this union must be run like a major company on par with those we are in business with, and that takes a BIG vision of how to not only get on top but stay there too. Although some members may work more than others or receive more benefits than others, EVERY member gains when their union is both powerful and respected. I want you to know you're in excellent hands with our National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. Starting with his top-notch executive team and across the entire union, he and his staff work like beasts on behalf of all of us. He became NED just as I became president, and over these past four years we became a strong leadership duo. It is a relationship I am very grateful to have forged, and I shall miss working with him. We're in very good standing with IMDb after a decade of fighting, litigation and, eventually, no communication whatsoever. Our relationship is now a happy one, and their willingness to adapt their programs to accommodate our needs is unprecedented. And intimacy coordinators became the newest community added into the SAG-AFTRA family. How far we have come from the "casting couch"! My one regret is that Green Council — which had become very close to an industrywide commitment — got derailed by the strike, followed by the death of my father and, lastly, the Palisades Fires that sadly involved my home, which I've not been able to live in since Jan. 7. I remain optimistic, now that the battle wounds of the strike have healed, that we can, as an industry, move forward again with this unifying effort on behalf of the greater good. We stand on the precipice of a new dawn. And once the next SAG-AFTRA president is elected, I shall remain at their disposal whenever called upon like an elder statesman to listen and advise. The office of president is different from all other elected positions. To lead a diverse membership like ours, it is imperative that the president retains emotional restraint and does not allow us to be sucked into polarizing issues that are not core to the union's business and may even be harmful to the unity of the member body. Keep the big vision for SAG-AFTRA so we can remain the force to be reckoned with that we are today, and please GET INVOLVED! There are hundreds of member elected positions, both national and local, doing selfless, exhausting and time-consuming work as volunteers all on our behalf. It's been incredible watching them and this democracy in action. Never forget we performers are a special group of people who together make for a strong labor union and powerful player in this great industry! Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being your national president. It has been my great honor to serve you all during these past four years, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to give back to my union. It has been a very rewarding experience and one I shall never forget! Fran F R A N D R E S C H E R