Another 4As Term for Bikel
It’s his 11th for the venerable actor (Theodore Bikel is now 82 years old). Interestingly, Variety reports that AFTRA’s NED Kim Hedgpeth was elected the group’s 1st VP (SAG’s David White is 2nd VP).Â
What makes the Hedgpeth placement interesting is that AFTRA had announced a couple of years back that it intended to quit the 4As… something that obviously hasn’t happened yet and apparently may not.
One other interesting note from the Variety post. It says the 4As is “the organization through which performer unions derive their jurisdictional charters,” which parrotss Membership First rhetoric, but ignores the 800 pound gorilla in the room, otherwise known as reality and/or the  National Labor Relations Board.
AFTRA’s NED Kim Hedgpeth, explained AFTRA membership in the 4A’s in this webcast: http://bit.ly/7tonP conducted by Jonathan Handel.
Its at the end of a long interview. Scroll to 1:06 if you want to go directly to the area that pertains to AFTRA and the 4A’s.
For all the years previous to their direct affiliation with the AFL, AFTRA was an AFL affiliate “as a result” of their membership/participationin the 4As.
It was my understanding that the reason AFTRA planned to retire from the 4As on their dues expiuration is because – as a direct member of the AFL – it was believed (at the time, anyway) that this would amount to a “double payment” of dues, so was deemed redundant.
It’s quite posible that – in continuing to work through the development of the new internal structure – Pete DiCicco and/or John Sweeney discovered that the assumption didn’t play out, and AFTRA’s 4As membership could/can stand.
Just a guess, and I could be wrong. I haven’t watched the video linked by Mike, but I will.
V.