Baltimore / Washington SAG Members: Heads Up

If you're undecided on the proposed SAG TV/Theatrical Agreement, here's a local meeting you must attend.

Washington, DC - Thursday, May 28th at 12:30P. City Club of Washington, 555 13th Street, NW, Washington 20004. No guests allowed. Parents or guardians of performers under 18 very welcome. SAG union card paid thru April 2009 required for admission.

YOUR SCREEN ACTORS GUILD
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

RECOMMENDS A YES VOTE ON THE
TV/THEATRICAL AGREEMENT

Details of the tenative agreement are posted here.

I'll be at the meeting in DC and then I will be voting YES. Will you?

(National TV/Theatrical Contracts Hotline (323) 549-6665)

Comments

[Tom Gridley]

Here are some facts that the slight majority of our
National Board has neglected to tell you.

Main changes if this contract is voted up;

1. Loss of Residuals -
At the day-player scale rate, every actor will lose
$2,000.00 for each day they work. They will also, lose
14.8% for pension & health($296.00) It will be replaced
with $22.77($3.33 for pension and health) for 6 months of
streaming on the net. Although this will be bad for each
actor on an individual level, can you imagine how fast our
pension and health fund will dry up? They are going to show
all re-runs on the internet. No more re-runs on TV. There
is a lot of room to negotiate between $2,000.00 and $22.77
and many of us feel that they can go back to the table and
do a better job!

2. Non-Union work in Original Made for New Media Productions -
Unless the budget is $25,000.00/minute or more(average thus
far is $2500.00), the producers will use 32 pages of our
contract full of exclusions and requirements to decide who
is a "Qualified Performer". And then, they can produce with
only that one SAG cast member and the rest of the cast can
be all Non-Union yet they will want us to call it a SAG
Production! If voted up, this trend can easily spread to TV
and Film.

3. Clip Consent -
Since 1960, we have had Clip Consent. If a producer wants
to use one of your clips in a movie, tv show, documentary,
on the internet, etc., they must first get your permission,
and then negotiate a price for the use. If this contract is
voted up, the producers can use your clips 'intact' in any
project they choose(what if the project involves subject
matter that you are opposed to?). With the current state of
Computer Generated Images, they can also take you out of
context and have you doing things you would never have
consented to do in the first place. They will be able to do
all of this without your consent, and without paying you.

4. Product Integration -
We all know about Product Placement, but if this contract
passes, we will all become commercial spokespeople for the
particular products in the tv show or film. If the product
is Coke, and you are already a Pepsi spokesperson, make a
choice. You will lose either your Pepsi sponsorship, or that
roll. You will not be payed for the endorsement of the
product. You will not receive residuals when they use the
Clip Consent Clause and take your product endorsement out
of the project and use it separately as a commercial. And,
finally, the pool of regular separate commercials necessary
to sell products will become smaller because many of us will
be doing commercials and promoting products as part of our
artistic expression in a given scene in any given project.

5. Force Majeure -
Since 1937, this is what protects you once you have been
booked and you spend many hours learning your part and
getting into character, and also turning down other
lucrative work because you are already booked. If they
book you, and production is halted do to a strike, or an
act of God, or any other reason, they must pay you five
weeks at half your rate. As of right now, the producers
owe SAG Actors at least $60,000,000.00 and as much as
$400,000,000.00 for last years strike. If this contract
is voted up, the producers will have to pay only
$20,000,000.00 total, and each member will have to
bargain individually for Force Majeure protection. The
obvious strength in numbers of the collective bargaining
of SAG will no longer provide Force Majeure protection.
If you are not an 'A' list actor, good luck!

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