SAG-AFTRA

Fall/Winter 2010

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A LETTER TO MEMBERS From National Executive Director DAVID WHITE Dear Member, I am quite pleased to write this report following the announcement that the Joint Screen Actors Guild TV/Teatrical and AFTRA Exhibit A Negotiating Committee has reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP on our feature motion picture and primetime scripted television programs in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 7. Te tentative agreement will be presented to the Joint National Boards of Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA at a meeting in early December and, if approved, will be sent to our joint memberships for ratification soon thereaſter. In addition, the tentative agreements reached by SAG negotiating committees for successor contracts to the Basic Cable Live Action, Basic Cable Animation and Television Animation agreements will be presented to the SAG National Board of Directors for its approval at a separate meeting on the same day. It is premature for me to write about the details of these tentative agreements prior to board consideration, but I am happy to report that the results reflect the excellent preparations that preceded actual bargaining. As part of our W&W process, members from around the country participated to make sure their voices were heard as we shaped the proposal package and clarified priorities for this negotiation. Moreover, our partnership with our sister union, AFTRA, was mutually supportive and successful by almost any metric one could use. Te Joint Negotiating Committee acted as a single representative for the members of both unions and our staffs worked well together. I want to recognize the dedication of the negotiating team beginning with SAG President Ken Howard and AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon. Presidents Howard and Reardon led the negotiations as co-chairs of the Joint Negotiating Committee. Both brought vision and leadership to the bargaining as did the SAG and AFTRA committee members from across the country. Tey were hard-working and dedicated throughout, and all members are deeply indebted to these leaders who serve without remuneration and are the voice of the membership during negotiations. My co-chief negotiator, AFTRA National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, was thoughtful and tough at the table, as was our extraordinary staff bargaining team. Remembrance and Renewal Tere are a number of important stories in this issue of Screen Actor and I hope that you will take a moment to read them all. Let me draw your attention in particular to the tribute to one of the most effective staff leaders to ever serve Screen Actors Guild members: Ken Orsatti. Ken, who was a member of SAG’s staff for 40 years, including as national executive director, passed away in August. His death was a difficult blow for so many of us. We all mourn the passing of a great leader and remember his many contributions to the Guild. His spirit, and that of founding member and former National Board member Gloria Stuart, who passed away in October, will be with us always. As we look forward to the fall and winter holidays and the new year, I sense a profound spirit of renewal and excellence at Screen Actors Guild. Even in the midst of a challenging negotiation, your Guild staff was hard at work on a number of important technological and operational improvements. When complete, these initiatives—including paperless billing, faster residuals processing and better overall member services—will deliver enhancements to members and all of our industry stakeholders. We are excited to bring these projects to you and hope that you find the improvements as valuable as we think you will. I wish you all a joyous holiday season. In unity and looking forward, David P. White 22 SCREEN ACTOR - Fall/Winter 2010 SAG.org

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