A SAG Assignment

Perhaps in honor of back-to-school season, SAG has given its members some homework. Just as the rank and file are sharpening their No. 2 pencils to fill out board election ballots, they got an extra assignment this weekend that will also seal the fate of the great guild forever—or at least for the next three years.

I’m talking, of course, about the 12-page packet of info about the AMPTP’s controversial final offer, including a postcard--careful, it’s not for a subscription to Us Weekly—asking members to choose one:

“Continue negotiating with the AMPTP to secure a fair TV/Theatrical contract for actors with better terms than the AMPTP’s June 30^th ‘final offer.’

OR

Accept the AMPTP’s June 30^th ‘final offer’ without modification.”

That’s a helluva choice—kind of like asking the kids if they’d rather go out for frosty chocolate milkshakes or stay home and count the ceiling tiles. If your copy got lost in the mail or was stolen by a mailman who is one voucher and a Geico ad away from his SAG card, download the whole mailer here.

As Membership First’s David Jolliffe and Anne-Marie Johnson alluded to during his interview with Jonathan Handel last week, the poll could be part of “the Allen’s” overall strategy to rally members’ support then call for strike authorization. If the rank-and-file grant said authorization—75 percent of the membership has to vote “yea”—that’d give Team SAG some power when they (finally) face the studios again in the boardroom.

I’ve asked SAG’s main rep if the mailer and poll is indeed part of such a strategy, but I haven’t heard back yet. It’ll be interesting if SAG insists this is mailer is fair and objective. It opens with the headline, “Your negotiating committee fights on to achieve a fair contract.” I have a feeling the next sentence, “and you wouldn’t want to screw that up, would you?,” was deleted after hours of discussion.

The mailer also tells members upfront that “informal discussions with the employers, their AMPTP representatives, and a core group of leaders from both organizations” continue on the down low. “You will no doubt read spin suggesting that there is dead silence between our sides, but that is inaccurate.” Can they be more specific? Nope, “Many of the discussions SAG’s negotiators have had are confidential at the request of the other parties.” Aw, drat those “other parties!”

Speaking of spin, that’s what the AMPTP calls the mailer itself. The studios org said in a statement today, “SAG's mass postcard mailing is designed to give SAG negotiators the answer they want to hear --and only the answer they want to hear. The two questions on the postcard ‘poll’ are written in a completely one-sided way, characterizing the June 30 final offer as unfair. The 12 pages of material accompanying the postcard are just as one-sided and are filled with misrepresentations. For example, SAG's negotiators continue to insist that talks are ongoing. The facts are exactly the opposite: No informal negotiations regarding SAG's TV/Theatrical contract have been going on, and for SAG's negotiators to suggest otherwise is to intentionally mislead the membership. AMPTP has made the new media template work for directors, writers and actors (in two separate AFTRA agreements), and all have now gone back to work. It's long past time for SAG members to begin enjoying the higher wages, plan contributions, streaming and other new media residuals already being paid to other Guild members.”

Doug Allen said earlier today, “The AMPTP previously suggested that we send their last offer to our members and now that we have done so they object.  It is understandable that the studios and networks are concerned about the members' reaction to a proposal that contains incentives to produce non-union and no residuals for new media productions re-used by steaming on the Internet. It is appropriate that we inform our members and seek their input on these critical matters.

The reason we don't have a deal yet is because management hasn't put an offer on the table that is acceptable to SAG's National Negotiating Committee and National Board. The AMPTP hasn't yet been willing to modify their new media ‘template’ to make it work for actors.”

 So, what will you say? Cards are due Sept. 15—three days before election ballots are due. Curious coincidence...

-- Lauren Horwitch

Comments

[The Obvious]

Would you buy a used car from these Allens?

[Lauren Horwitch]

Ha! To be fair, isn't the AMPTP trying to sell SAG a used contract? One driven by only three little, old unions for just a few months -- and only to church on Sundays.