Campaign Watch (AFTRA): The LATE Edition
A new interview of Membership First’s Anne Marie Johnson is out, concerning her candidacy for the AFTRA Board. Interviewed by Andrew Salomon of Backstage, Johnson said she’s running for the board, “to have a better handle on what their contracts are actually offering me.”  This follows on AMJ’s video pitch for votes on the Membership First site, in which she says she’s running, after 24 years as a member of AFTRA, in order to find out how the union is run.
Well, never mind that these may not be the best qualifications to run a union. The interview is out only 24 hours before the vote totals are to be announced, meaning it’s not likely to influence too many voters. On the other hand, her line on merger is still interesting, if not surprising.
“For those who are quite pleased with their AFTRA contracts, they’re obviously not interested in what I’m standing for. For those who believe merger is the answer, I’m certainly not their candidate.”
It’s actually a little strange, too. Membership First has traditionally suggested that AFTRA is interested in merging with SAG and that it would be a good deal for AFTRA but a bad deal for SAG. If that’s AMJ’s position, one has to ask why a candidate for the AFTRA board would oppose it.
On the apparent decline in MF strength while Unite for Strength has been ascendant, the SAG Hollywood First VP denies it was a repudiation of the Membership First position. It’s worth a click.
“Listen. If we’re going to find some correlation between Unite for Strength and the AFTRA leadership, then they better be careful, because if this contract is ratified, [the moderates] have delivered two pieces of shit [AFTRA’s prime-time contract and SAG’s tentative TV/film contract].”
If she’s elected to AFTRA’s Board, she could set a land speed record for expulsion. As she points out, that comment doesn’t violate the non-disparagement agreement because she’s a candidate (as long as SAG repudiates it, which she cleverly fails to mention as part of the deal), but it certainly shows a level of disrespect for the union that I would think is going to be tough to tolerate.
I would be interested in hearing how this kind of thing promotes the prospects of “solidarity” within SAG, too.
Well, it was an interesting read.
Thanks for passing out more ammunition, Anne-Marie!
AMJ’s undisguised contempt for AFTRA certainly makes her well-suited to a national leadership position there.
VG
I wouldn’t vote for Anne-Marie Johnson for dog catcher, much less AFTRA National board. She could less about her sister union and her contempt shows. The sad part is that there are people out there who will actually vote for her.
She is suited to remain in SAG as long as they can stomach her. Which for the welfare of SAG, I sincerely hope is only a short time.
~JC
I know this is not quite the right place for this posting, but here goes…
The Minority Report, which is written by all MF members, blows about how David White said “The deal sucks.”….and they have repeated everywhere they can….and I think it needs a little ‘splainin’…
In the February National Board Plenary (Video, just a few weeks after David was in place as the interim NED, he gave a report on this most recent AMPTP offer. A motion had been made by the “Moderates” to REJECT the offer. In discussion, David said he felt that offer sucked….but what an interesting moment, when the motion came to a vote (which was a recorded vote and may be read in the minutes)…MF (with an exception of about 2) voted against the motion. They very people who now say the contract stinks, and cry how David White said the motion sucks, vote AGAINST a motion to REJECT the offer, which is essentially a statement that they were accpeting the offer. Really. Can’t make this up. Alan Rosenbger, AMJ, and many of the other harcore VoteNo/MF team voted against a motion to reject the offer. Fortunately, the moderates voted in favor of the motion to reject, otherwise we really would have been stuck with the offer that sucked.
The offer that’s now before us is not that same offer, it has improvements.
Giggles -
There was a discussion on the dais at the NY Town Hall last night.
It was about the only electricity generated all evening.
Rosenberg tried to say that David White had said that the PRESENT contract “sucks.”
David patiently explained that it was the CONTRACT BEFORE,
and the one with the 3-YEAR TERM.
Alan wouldn’t buy that. His ears were stuffed and his mind made up.
Tom, i’ll repeat here what I posted elsewhere about the David White saying “his deal sucks”…it was at the February Plenary (video)…just weeks after White was hired. The offer in front of us – at that time – did suck. There was a motion made the the Nat’l Board should reject the offer. It was expressed by White & McGuire that a unimamous vote to reject the offer would be helpful. In that debate White said the deal sucked….and that offer had the termination date that would keep us forever out of sync with AFTRA’s coontract termination.
After much too much grandstanding by MF, a vote was taken. All the non-MF board members voted to REJECT the offer. MF voted against the motion, which means they were, essentially, voting NOT to reject the offer. White expressed his disappointment of not having the unamimous vote.
The offer before us now is better than the one of February.
Point being…the very same MF Board members, including Rosenberg, who are now insisting to vote NO, in Feb voted against rejecting the offer.
Bizarre? yes…Political, absolutely.
With the change in the temrination date, if passed, SAG contract term ends the same as AFTRA and extremely near to DGA and WGA. And all those unions know that the way we can make solid gains in 2011, is by minimally coordinating our effort to maximize our leverage. Voting NO now means will forever be out of sync and will have minimlaize our leverage for many years to come.
A vote YEs now – strengthens our abilities for the future.
Vote for Anne-Marie Johnson. Get her on the AFTRA Board and see what happens. If you guys are so attracted to a blood bath you might enjoy her first time at an AFTRA National Board mic. I hear those broadcasters can spit pretty far.
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Ed. Comment – You’re a little late, and missing a key point. She’s already spoken at AFTRA Board meetings – those held jointly with SAG.