Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546062
THE POWER OF SHOWING UP FOR EACH OTHER Through Unity, Great Things Are Possible! W hen SAG-AFTRA advocates for policies that bring production home, the benefits extend far beyond our members. Every production puts union performers to work while also supporting crews, musicians, drivers, hotel workers, restaurant employees, construction trades, small businesses and local communities. It's a reminder that when one part of the labor movement succeeds, everyone benefits. During the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention, SAG-AFTRA's resolution to support federal legislation creating tax incentives for domestic film and television production received strong support from AFM Local 99, IATSE, the Writers Guild of America East and other unions. The resolution's unanimous passage demonstrated the power of workers speaking with one voice. That principle is at the heart of the labor movement. As SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin told convention delegates, "I can't wait for us to find ways of supporting each other as we represent our members." From supporting striking workers to advancing shared legislative priorities, SAG-AFTRA members regularly join with fellow unions in pursuit of common goals. That commitment extends well beyond national conventions. Through participation in state labor federations, central labor councils and AFL-CIO affiliates across the country, SAG-AFTRA members and staff work alongside fellow unions to support organizing efforts, advocate for legislation and strengthen the collective voice of working people. These partnerships strengthen the labor movement while attracting production, creating jobs, boosting local economies and expanding opportunities for workers across many industries. Here are a few recent examples. UNITED FOR PERFORMING ARTISTS The performing arts workforce often moves between stage, screen and recorded media, giving SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association a shared stake in many workplace and public policy issues. That common purpose was on display June 16, when Astin and Actors' Equity President Brooke Shields joined forces in a Roll Call op-ed supporting the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act. Also known as PATPA, the bipartisan legislation would allow a broader group of performing artists to deduct qualified business expenses. SUPPORTING STARBUCKS WORKERS SAG-AFTRA has joined in solidarity with Starbucks workers during their organizing efforts. On Dec. 16, Astin and dozens of SAG-AFTRA members joined the picket at the SAG-AFTRA Plaza Starbucks location in Los Angeles to lend solidarity to the baristas' strike. At the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention, from left, Actors' Equity Association Assistant Executive Director for Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Calandra Hackney, SAG-AFTRA Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Pamela Greenwalt, Actors' Equity President Brooke Shields, SAG-AFTRA EVP Linda Powell, Chief Labor Policy Officer & New York Local Executive Director Rebecca Damon, and Actors' Equity Association Executive Director Alvin Vincent Jr. BUILDING STRONGER LOCAL ECONOMIES SAG-AFTRA works with our union partners to advance policies that attract film and television production and create good union jobs. New Jersey's expanded production tax incentive program, for example, demonstrates how film and television investment supports performers, crews, local businesses and the broader economy. Recent productions benefiting from those policies include Netflix's Four Seasons, starring Tina Fey and Colman Domingo, which filmed in New Jersey. • EMILY V. ARAGONES/NETFLIX sagaftra.org | Summer 2026 | SAG-AFTRA 65