Merger Watch: Membership First’s Silliest Reason to Say No
It isn’t the first time she’s said it – in fact it’s been a Membership First talking point for months. But on the list of things that make no sense, this one has to rank right up top. The line is, “We can’t merge, because if we strike over TV-Theatrical, broadcasters and djs and recording artists won’t go on strike with us.”
In Anne-Marie Johnson’s e-mail yesterday, she put it this way:
And unless all other AFTRA contracts, including the Net Code (i.e. Soap Operas) and all contracts covering broadcasters, disc jockys and recording artists, expire on June 30th 2011 along with our TV/Theatrical contract, those members will be obligated to continue working due to the No Strike Clause. They are completely DIFFERENT contracts.
Why is that so incomparably stupid? Because even inside SAG, people who work other contracts wouldn’t stop working because of a TV-Theatrical strike. Those who work commercials, animation, interactive, basic cable – all those members would keep working. They’d have no strike clauses, too, and could not go on a sympathy strike.
So why does it bother Membership First so much that members in AFTRA would keep working under their contracts even if there were a TV-Theatrical strike?
The answer? There is none.
It’s just another part of their campaign that doesn’t make any sense.
People will remember the incomparably stupid e-mail that Doug Allen sent out last December, as part of his campaign in support of strike authorization, pointing out how little effect a TV-Theatrical strike would have because SAG members could continue working in commercials, animation, interactive, etc. “We won’t shut the town down,” he said in substance, “so you really have little downside in voting for strike authorization.”
It was inexplicable — essentially saying that a SAG strike wouldn’t have much impact.
VG
It goes to show how little competence is offered by MF. In Alan Rucks video moment he points out this same issue, how not everyone (such as Newspeople, broadcaster) wiould go on strike….but he attributes it to labor law over sympathy strikes, and he misses that only the contract in question would be effected by a work stoppage…and that sympathy stike issues have to do with different unions striking to sympathize with another.
Here’s on e great example of what can happen when unions work together. Recall the most recent musicians strike on Broadway? It ended fairly quickly when Equity cooperated.
Someday perhaps there will come a time when the MF anger and rhetoric will fade into memory, and SAG and AFTRA work together, either solidly under Phase 1, or merger….and DGA and WGA or think and coordinate together. Then we’d have real strength. MF’s go it alone approach will make SAG fade to black.
My first thought exactly—I have the Doug Allen email here somewhere. Ah–here it is.
From Doug Allen on 12/30/08:
The following message is the first in a series of responses to members’ questions at recent Town Hall meetings and sent to us via email. Please watch for additional messages over the coming weeks.
Know the facts!
Will a SAG TV/Theatrical strike “shut down the Industry?” NO WAY!
If the SAG National Board is authorized to call a strike, we all hope a strike will not be necessary. But, if the National Board decides to call one, it will not “shut down the Industry.” Why not? Because the National Board’s decision would have no effect on work done under the Guild’s other contracts.
In the event of a TV/Theatrical strike, work done under other SAG contracts would continue to be governed by those contracts, not the TV/Theatrical contracts. That means jobs in commercials, basic cable, video games and industrials would continue during a TV/Theatrical strike. Also, jobs would continue on more than 800 independent movie projects by producers not associated with AMPTP companies, and on more than 800 independent new media projects under SAG’s new media agreement.
A strike of our TV/Theatrical contracts would be a serious step we hope to avoid, but even if the working actors on SAG’s National Board were authorized and ultimately voted to call a strike, that decision would affect only work on primetime network shows, pay TV shows (e.g., HBO), and movies made, financed or distributed by AMPTP companies (e.g., Sony, Warner Bros., Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount, NBC Universal, etc.). Not “the entire industry.”
Also, actors on any shows signed to AFTRA before the effective date of such a strike would be required by their personal contract and AFTRA’s CBA to report to work on any AFTRA-covered projects in its jurisdiction (primarily dramatic network primetime and pay TV shows, and movies made for television or DVD.)
Please visit the SAG website at http://www.sag.org for up to the minute information and email your questions or comments to http://www.Contract2008@sag.org (this is an email address and not a live web link.)
Sincerely,
Doug Allen
So this was a positive thing when Doug Allen said it, and it is a negative thing now that AMJ says the same thing?
“Vote Membership First! This Time We’re Telling The Truth. Honest!”
Dr. Giggles dreams of a day when….”SAG and AFTRA work together”
You mean like during the RECENT contract negotiations?
Let’s MAKE SURE AFTRA and SAG work together similar to how they have in the past–and not leave another sister union at the bargaining table.
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Admin. Comment – Oh, I agree. If there are MF reps running the SAG side, we should let AFTRA negotiate the whole deal. At least they’ll get it done, so that MF can’t leave performers waiting for a contract.
Yes. SAG and AFTRA must work together, in many ways.
Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson should have never left a sister union at the bargaining table.
Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson should have never attacked AFTRA and spent SAG members dues money in an attempt to block ratification of their contract.
Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson should have never let Justine Bateman call AFTRA a “scumbag union” in public and further divide membership. Instead, they unleased further hysterical rants from Ed Asner, Dave Clennon and about a dozen other ill-informed MFers.
Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson SHOULD HAVE WORKED WITH AFTRA instead of attacked them.
And Johnson should not be heading a committee to raid AFTRA of its performers. Johnson should not be disparaging AFTRA.
Yes, we pro-union, pro-SAG members dream of SAG and AFTRA working together. And working in solidarity for common cause with the WGA and DGA.
That’s why we MUST VOTE FOR KEN HOWARD, AMY AQUINO AND THE U4S TEAM. A vote for anyone from Memebrship First anywhere will only hold us back, and push our union backward.
Get the intelligent adults back in the room.VOTE UNITE FOR STRENGTH!
How… ornamental of you, Erik-Anders.
Bwahahahahahaha…I got that one, Stuart (but I doubt he will…)!!
Yes, like the RECENT, highly successful commercials contract negs, which closely mirrored the PI negs since the mid 80′s … you know, the negs that DA criticized? The ones he said were horrible?
The ones he tried like the devil to CHANGE?
And change them he did, right down to a SAG referendum on KILLING PI, which didn’t go out.
WOnder why? Simple: DA got a look at the minority report that was to accompany it, ad realized his arrogant goose was COOKED.
Man, they use big paintbrushes, and they love painting themselves into corners, then screaming at whoever moved the door.
V.
Erik-Anders Nilsson= “Rebel Without A Clue”.
The Mis-Informed Ghost of Ralph Morgan wrongly continues the MYTH by stating…
“Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson should have never left a sister union at the bargaining table.”
It was AFTRA that walked out– NOT SAG.
Repeat after me:
AFTRA walked out.
AFTRA walked out.
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Ed. Comment – Technically true, but completely misleading – as we all know.
There….feel better now that you understand the truth?
It’s what I brouhgt up before, Erik – the battered wife syndrome, and you tried to twist it that I was comparing a battered woman to SAG.
After months of Doug Allen, Alan Rosenberg, AMJ and MF bashing AFTRA….AFTRA had enough and gave them what they wanted. Many said from the beginning the attacks were designed to chase AFTRA away, so MF/Doug/Alan/AMj and you could claim AFTRA left….you just leave out the months of attacks that led to it.
Repeat after me…SAG wanted AFTRA to walk out…..and they yelled and kicked and screamed until AFTRA had enough.
SAG wanted to go it alone, and it was a disaster. AMJ still wants SAG to go it alone, and she’ll be a disaster, too.
I stand by my statement 100%.
Rosenberg, Allen, and Johnson should have never left a sister union at the bargaining table.
What they did was chase their sister union away from the table. They wanted to go-it-alone. It worked. Even when AFTRA gave them windows and doors to negotiate, they went-it-alone and wasted time, and NEVER attempted to work and negotiate with them. Then they tried, at great our expense, to defeat AFTRA’s work. Meanwhile, Rosenberg, Allen and Johnson let numerous SAG contracts go un-negotiated.
They left their sister union alone at the negotiating table.
That’s a fact; and technically, you’ve misused the word myth. A myth is a traditional story that is told to reveal a truth about our world. The mythology that Membership first is leaving behind for future generations of SAG actors will certainly be valuable as cautionary tales.
Again, Erik-Anders, let’s put it in terms you can understand.
Let us say you go into a restaurant and ask for a table. The maitre’d says to the waitress, “Take this gentleman to table 20 in the tall, blond Nazi-looking section.”
You naturally take umbrage. “How DARE you treat me in such a RACIST fashion? Do you REALLY seat people based on their EXTERNAL APPEARANCE?”
The maitre’d apologizes, “I am so sorry, sir. You’re absolutely right. Emily, take this gentleman to table 32 in the shrill, histrionic, hysterical, tall, blond Nazi-looking section.”
Remember as you pass through the front door back onto the street: YOU walked out. YOU, ERIK-ANDERS NILSSON, walked out.
Even Handel referred to AFTRA being forced away from the table.
Erik won’t accept reality no matter what we tell him.
Let’s just pray that the members have had enough and walk away from MFer’s for the same reason AFTRA did…TO SAVE THEIR LIVES.