I have a strong suspicion that you are once again being confused with “Mikey”.

The one-letter difference is sometimes tough to catch when skimming through. I’ve missed it a couple of times, and thought “Mikey” was having a change of heart, only to be disappointed… *sigh*

“In his defense, mike has, from the outset, been consistent in his urging for SAG and AFTRA to return to Phase 1 and joint negotiations “as written” under Phase 1.”

I agree with Sheffc.

And we also need to start something else that MF campaigned against and failed to brint to term, the agency franchise.

My thoughts, pretty much mirror your thoughts, in regards to the merger question.

Regarding your first comment… Are you against a SAG/AFTRA merger ever? Against a merger at this time (back-burner it)? In favor of taking some initial steps toward a merger? In favor of merger being a main priority for SAG right now?

This aren’t gotcha questions. I’m genuinely curious.

* * * * *

My own thoughts…

I’m looking at it from the perspective a non-affected reader who has had to deal with revising/adapting convoluted infrastructures at a couple orgs/businesses (in sportswear, but the issues are similar). I just see it as a HUGE bureaucratic nightmare on numerous levels. The $$$ costs of competently combining procedures, IT systems, similar staff jobs, etc. will be staggering. Is there even a way to combine benefits where some group won’t be getting the short end of the stick? These company-wide transitions take YEARS and introduce numerous unexpected problems. The leadership at the top of the unions seems so volatile and changes so frequently, it would be a disaster to start and then suddenly stop a major transformation like that.

I’m not saying merger can’t be done or shouldn’t be done. I just think some people toss around the term “merger” too flippantly (like all it involves is changing the letterhead logo) and don’t appreciate all of the non-political dimensions involved. The substantial resources that would be devoted to the “merger project” are resources that could be used to better resolve day-to-day membership issues and expand membership work opportunities.

As long as SAG-AFTRA can once again negotiate together and has the combined leverage of the entire professional acting community, do they really need to tackle all of the headaches an actual merger would entail, right now in this economy?

It’s obvious which parties in this election represent those qualities, respectively. I would hope and expect that if UFS wants to win this election, and truly put the possibility of merger back on the table, they need to start campaigning NOW. And that means member-to-member education and interaction. House parties. Instructional Videos. Flyers. Brochures.

This all takes money, but perhaps there are more than a few sympathetic A-Listers that would consider becoming “high-dollar donors.” The vote on this contract is only the beginning of what is sure to be a brutal campaign. But getting out front is important — keeping MF responding rather than controlling the conversation is essential. And as much as some on this site will hate this suggestion, making friends with and reaching out to media outlets like Finke can only help this effort. John McCain proved for a good long time that being friendly to the press, and granting EVERY media request could endear a personality and result in positive coverage for some distasteful ideas. Not that UFS has distasteful ideas, but how much more can an effective, responsive media strategy aid good ideas? In the end, Obama had a better press relationship than McCain, the supposed master. In contrast, Howard Dean did not have a good media relationship, and subsequently, they tore him apart the first chance they got, over a trivial matter (the “scream”).

Much like our domestic politics, I have a feeling our union politics have gotten to the point where the campaign needs to be constant. Memes are built over time. Start planting the seeds now. The most effective tool is the simple fact that the ONLY way to ensure the mindf**k that was the 2008-09 contract negotiations never happens again is merger. Start putting that message out now, through all channels.

ANTI-MERGER is ANTI-UNION. Now who wants to help me put that slogan on some bumper stickers and t-shirts? I can design them, I just can’t pay for them.

We know he’s independent because he tells us he is.

The fact that he takes a page from the MF playbook and suggest that someone who disagrees witht hem is insane rather than stick to substantive issues is just another clue to his independence. Only a truly independent thinker would engage in that tactic because . . .

. . . well, because he says he’s independent, anyway. That should be enough.

I voted YES on the contract.

Me too. Did you vote YES for this contract?

If you did not, do you realize that cooperation with AFTRA and returning to Phase I, including basic cable, would be IMPOSSIBLE?