Campaign Watch: Is Rosenberg Serious?
Petitions for SAG Board and officer slots are available starting Monday. Alan Rosenberg has announced he’s running for a third term as SAG President, despite the plain rejection he suffered in the TV-Theatrical ratification, and in the face of the past two years of open warfare on the board that saw him stripped of his ability to speak for the union by the moderate coalition now running the union.
We haven’t heard how last night’s fundraiser at the Helgenbergers went, but we have seen plenty of criticism of Rosenberg, and not just from the coalition. Many of the comments from Membership First supporters in the past 48 hours have been openly hostile to Rosenberg and his candidacy.
It’s worth recalling that Rosenberg narrowly won re-election to his current term, defeating even-harder-liner Seymour Cassel. It would come as no surprise if a second and even a third candidate were to emerge from that end of the spectrum, giving Rosenberg the choice of withdrawing – or simply not turning in his nominating petitions.
Unite for Strength is expected to announce its single candidate for union president soon.
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One more note: you’ll recall Rosenberg’s statement immediately after his TV-Theatrical Waterloo, that he’d be immediately contacting leaders of the other entertainment industry unions to start planning for the 2011 negotiations. We know of at least one union leader who wasn’t waiting by her phone, and, well, maybe he just didn’t want to leave a message on voicemail.
I have no doubt the other unions are willing to work with SAG under new sane and reasonable leadership. They just don’t want to negotiate alongside Allen and Anne-Marie Johnson. They are far too polarizing and just downright delusional at this point to waste any valuable time dealing with.
If Rosenberg and Johnson had any class the first thing they would do is drop the lawsuit it has going against SAG. It is a failed lawsuit with no chance of winning and simply draining our own coffers through massive legal fees.
The second thing they would do is step down for the good of the Guild.
But that is what a true and passionate leader would do. Not gonna happen with these two. They don’t give a damn about what the membership wants. AND they serve at the pleasure of the membership. They will not take responsibility of this great divide. The will do NOTHING to heal it.
So we as members must continue to fight to take back this damaged union called SAG.
Marisa
The other Unions and Guilds might be willing to work WITH SAG, but certainly not FOR SAG. It’s going to take real hard work to heal the divides within SAG and the alienation to the other unions caused over the last few years by SAG leaders. The time to start is NOW with a new slate.
Don’t forget that they do not believe it was their fault for the great divide. They feel that it was New York and the RBD that would not follow the unions (their) lead and thus caused all the problems.
And that will be their war cry.
The membership will listen to the one who is going to get them something–or SAY they are going to get them something.
Those running against Alan and Ann Marie can not just point out their failures but have to show, and prove, how they are going to make gains in the next round of negotiations.
It ain’t gonna be easy.