SAG-AFTRA

Winter 2013

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A Letter from the Co-Secretary-Treasurers AMY AQUINO & MATT KIMBROUGH "Our union is evolving, coming into focus." Dear Member, existence, the future shape of SAG-AFTRA is beginning to emerge. he tremendous amount of analysis I done in advance of the merger helped guide us in creating an initial business plan. We were conservative in our initial projections, in part because we knew that a more centralized and efficient financial structure was needed to replace outmoded local management of finances. For example, at the time of merger, legacy AFTRA held throughout its many locals over 100 unique bank accounts of every size and shape, which were expensive to maintain and difficult to monitor. he day merger was approved, we began instituting new policies representing the best practices for running an organization like ours. Since then, the staff of each of the former unions, now working as a team, have been conducting a truly comprehensive analysis of what SAG-AFTRA inherited from each former union, and how it fits together. he information being gathered is revealing just where we are as an organization and what some of our next steps should be. So far our expenses are in 14 SAG-AFTRA | Winter 2013 | SAGAFTRA.org n the case of a merger, one plus one equals one brand-new entity. Now, halfway through its first year of line with expectations, with the exception of a big one-time payout from a very successful voluntary severance package offer that was accepted by a significant number of staff. But while this hits us immediately, this early elimination of duplicative or redundant functions — accomplished without painful layoffs — will give us a lower cost structure going forward. Consolidating staff allows us to consolidate office space, so we'll soon be moving employees to create teams around the country that make the most fiscal sense. And we're in a position to focus on making operations more effective and economical in many other ways as well: replacing expensive travel with the use of video-conferencing for Board and committee meetings, looking to fundamentally upgrade residuals processing, and in general taking advantage of every efficiency our newly centralized phones and data services can provide. However we streamline the new union, its ability to protect and service members is still dependent on dues dollars. So we need you to do your part by taking care of that November dues bill you've just received. Making sure you're current on your 2012 SAG-AFTRA account by Nov. 30 means you'll be cleared immediately for work, can receive great SAG Award screeners and have access to lots of other special union benefits such as conservatory classes. For those with questions about what you owe, we're in the process of developing clear guidelines on how members can maintain good standing in the new union, so we hope you'll contact your local as soon as possible; don't let any lingering debts affect your status. Our union is evolving, coming into focus. In the near-term we hope that a centralized, financial structure with easy oversight, consistent policies and up-to- the-minute technology will help minimize surprises. SAG-AFTRA may be a work in progress, but we'll be working to keep it strong for you at every step along the way. Amy Aquino Matt Kimbrough

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