SAGWatch – Observing the Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA

Jonathan Handel says in addition to wanting retroactivity and higher wages, the Teamster-represented business agents feel unloved.

As we predicted, the SAG Pension & Health Funds is out with bad news. Changes include  increased earnings requirements for health insurance, and a there’s a plan for more increases. Plan I will require $30,150 per year to maintain eligibility—an increase from $29,250. Plan II goes to $14,800 from $14,350. There’s one exception: it’s $10,700 [...]

Regarding the Hollywood Division election: SAG Election ballots have arrived – it’s time to VOTE! If you support the progress UFS has made toward uniting SAG and AFTRA, it’s crucial to make your voice heard. Please refer to the list below or use the handy UFS Voting Guide to mark your ballot and mail it back right [...]

As we predicted, the National Labor Relations Board has rejected the latest claims from the Fizzlers, dismissing petitions by Michelle Santopietro and Samantha Hartson. Both had filed charges alleging a failure to represent them, part of a second wave of petitions to the NLRB, the first having been rejected earlier this year. All their cases [...]

Making its way around the e-mail chains: It’s a simple fact that a majority of Membership First board members voted against joint bargaining with AFTRA for the TV/Film contract talks that start in September. Considering the negative effects of separate negotiations in the last round of talks, voting against joint negotiations this time is remarkable [...]

We’re hearing the next shoe to drop as a result of the Membership First led debacle in the 2007 TV-Theatrical negotiations will be a substantial hit to participants in the SAG Health Plan. An announcement is expected shortly from the Plan outlining higher prices and reduced benefits. The reason for the cuts is a reduction [...]