“Sweaty, Cowboy Butt Cracks”

According to reports, Monday night’s SAG town hall meeting at the Writers Guild Theatre in

Beverly   Hills was quite the love fest for Rosenberg, Allen, and the guild’s negotiating committee. Leslie Simmons at our sister publication The Hollywood Reporter wrote Rosenberg and Allen received a standing O from roughly 400 members in attendance. One actor told Simmons SAG members at the meeting were united in backing their leaders’ tough stance against the AMPTP—kind of refreshing given SAG’s history as being deeply divided along political lines. Of course, we have to take into consideration that the group was largely comprised of L.A.-based actors—I doubt a significant number of East Coasters made the trip.

 SAGwatchdog.com’s Arlin Miller said the meeting was “smokin’,’ with many actors taking the floor to express their ire over the AMPTP’s proposals and AFTRA’s actions.

I’m somewhat surprised to hear that Rosenberg and Allen got such a positive reception. Many of the “rank and file” actors I’ve been speaking with aren’t exactly thrilled with SAG’s hardball approach to the negotiations. Their comments make me doubt SAG would even get the required 75 percent of their members to grant strike authorization. In our May 15 article in which we attempted to informally gauge what everyday actors are thinking of the unions’ negotiations, a SAG and AFTRA member of over 30 years criticized SAG as “cowboys” whose “tough talk is resulting in a worse deal than they would have gotten if they had negotiated as partners with the studios.”

“SAG just may take the mantle of weakest theatrical union from the Writers Guild of America if it’s not careful,” he continued.

 Another SAG actor commented, “Our current SAG officials have played right into the hands of AFTRA’s officials by being harder-core than previously, and AFTRA is now hoping to gain leverage with the AMPTP.”

Pamela Munro in Hollywood (who writes a very helpful blog about creative ways to save money—something most actors need to know, strike or no strike) said SAG is “in a very weak position, which they refuse to acknowledge.”

Since the article was published, I heard from an AFTRA member defending his union and pointing out that SAG is allegedly $6 million in debt.

A nd just this morning, I received an email from an AFTRA member–SAG eligible actor saying “both unions are acting like a bunch of hypocritical, political, sweaty, butt cracks.”

Well, we never claimed all actors are also poets, but you get the drift.

Rosenberg and Allen said their determinate stance against the AMPTP’s proposals--which allegedly would allow studios to sell clips from their library of films and television shows without actors’ consent—is misunderstood.

 SAG wrote in an update handed out during the meeting, “Some have characterized us as a ‘militant’ or ‘hardliners.’ Usually these are not bad monikers for unionists, but these words have become synonymous for ‘going to strike.’

“Some seem to think we should simply go ahead and quietly take what the writers, directors, and AFTRA net code performers got. But actors have issues that other above-the-line union members do not have. We are not being selfish or greedy. We believe your image and your right to actor-specific protections are a critical part of our 75-year history…and our future.”

At the same time, Rosenberg and Allen continue to say they do not want to lead another strike in July. According to Miller, Rosenberg said he “knew that neither, he, or the membership wanted a strike,” and pointed out that the membership would decide whether to strike.

To say SAG is between a rock and a hard place is putting it mildly. Let’s see what they can accomplish when they resume talks on May 28—a mere month before the contract expires June 30.

--Lauren Horwitch

Comments

[pamela munro]

Thanks Lauren for including my 2 cents' worth and pitching my frugal blog!
Also have an acting blog at aol.journals - Easiest way to find it is to google "Pamela Munro + actress" It's Munrosthingstheatrical artistique