And Happy Boxing Day from the Allens
A bizarre e-mail from 5757 this afternoon:
From: Screen Actors Guild
Sent: Dec 26, 2008 7:39 PM
To: SAG Members
Subject: GUILD MEMBERS: Contract Reminder
Dear Screen Actors Guild Member,
During this holiday season, and into the new year of 2009, please be reminded that you are free to audition, accept employment and work under all of the Guild’s contracts.
These include the following:
Basic Cable Animation Agreement
Basic Cable Live Action Agreement
Commercials Contract
Industrial/Educational Agreement
Interactive Media/Video Game Agreement
Theatrical and Television Agreements
TV Animation Agreement
The terms and working conditions that apply under these contracts shall continue without change until further notice, whether or not they have expired.
We wish all of you a happy and healthy new year.
Screen Actors Guild
Did someone get confused? Very confused? Did the Allens want to remind us they still exist? Or is there something going on that none of us understand?
Call me a conspiracy theorist (go ahead…I’ll wait…) but, this seems to be a thinly veiled swipe at/reminder to the AMPTP that SAG members are still vital to the process, and leadership holds the key to that continuing:
“…shall continue without change until further notice…”
Since they’re already claiming the SAV will go out IMMEDIATELY following the [now delayed] meeting, this seems just a reminder that they are in control.
Who wants to tell them they’re really not, and haven’t been for some time now….? Matt?
–
Admin. Response – OK…you’re a… oh, never mind, you’re not.
So the dream team has left us with…
No Agency Franchise
No TV/Film contract
No Live-Action Basic Cable
Cable Animation (?)
Interactive (?)
And coming soon … Commercials
Quite a list of accomplishments. Who is anti -SAG now? Two words…MF
Could this be related to that “Cover Your Back” campaign that announced Rule One application to New Media as of 1/1/09?
In one case, it seems the answer is that the contract expires in a couple of days and no one seems to have gotten around to renegotiating it. I refer to the interactive/videogame agreement, which is a multi-billion dollar industry resulting in millions of dollars in fees to performers. AFTRA extended the contract with the gaming producers with a reasonable increase in rates. SAG’s contract expires January one, if memory serves. So they are suggesting that you can continue to work at the old rate. And, no, it is not now nor has it ever been a Phase One agreement. Interesting epiphany.
actually, I think SAG leadership has decided that they don’t need to actually negotiate contracts anymore. Just call in Rule One to cover their rear-ends, and all is good to go. Abysmal.
In other words, the message basically says, “Keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll keep not doing what we should be doing, and Happy New Year.”
That’s it, isn’t it?
Or maybe they want all the contracts to expire … so they can call one massive strike against everything!
Does anyone have a count of contracts either:
1 Already expired with no current contract in place
2. Expiring within the first month of 2009
3. Expiring within the first quarter of 2009
It seems to me that an NED’s first job and ultimate responsibility is to all members. The principle element in that responsibility would certainly be the effective and efficient negotiating of our contracts. The responsible and pro-active protection of our work.
I am at a loss as to what anyone can accurately call the business and the activity that the SAG NED has been carrying on for the past two years. I tried to make a list of acheivements, but could not. .
One thing I do know: it’s not been about bringing home contracts or forging business and labor relationships in a responsible and respectable fashion.
It has not been about self-education on the industry, how tp make accurate projections, how and with whom to forge business relationships … all to ultimmately make SAG stronger, and benefit the members.
It’s all very confusing, and extremely disheartening.
V.