SAG Members Vote Want Better Contract From AMPTP

Los Angeles, September 17, 2008 - The Screen Actors Guild National Negotiating Committee met today and was given the results of the SAG mail-in poll by National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen.

87.27% of the10,298 SAG members who responded to the poll said the union should continue bargaining in an effort to achieve a fair contract. 12.73% of those who responded said they would accept the terms presented in the AMPTP’s June 30th offer to SAG.

Postcards were mailed to 103,630 paid-up SAG members on August 28 with a return deadline of September 15, with a 9.94% return. Postcard return statistics matched almost exactly the geographic distribution of SAG members, with 56.07% of the responses from Hollywood, 20.83% from NY, and 23.10% from regional branch members.

The results of the poll indicate that members agree with the actions passed by SAG’s national board in July and August:

July 26, 2008: “It is a core principle of Screen Actors Guild— That no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any SAG agreement and; That all work done under a Screen Actors Guild contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused.“

August 21, 2008 “To support the negotiating team to get the very best contract possible for our membership.”

Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg stated, “I am encouraged to see that members-at-large agree with the strategy of the national board and their national negotiating committee. This membership poll provides clear insight and direction concerning how actors feel about their futures. Clearly they expect Screen Actors Guild to protect them from exploitation in new media, and to preserve longstanding principles and contract provisions.”

National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen commented, “Our objective was to take the pulse of our members and I am pleased that the response reflects the resolve we have seen from SAG members around the country throughout this negotiating process. The AMPTP suggested we send their June 30 offer to our members to ratify. These poll results indicate that was wishful thinking on their part. We will now urge the AMPTP to roll up their sleeves and to put in the hard work required to bargain a fair, equitable agreement as soon as possible.”

The AMPTP issued this statement in reaction:

September 17, 2008 — The mass postcard mailing by SAG negotiators was a farce. The questions were devised to give SAG negotiators only the answer they wanted to hear. The materials accompanying the postcard were hopelessly one-sided. SAG member votes were recorded by name, exposing those who opposed SAG negotiators to possible retribution. And some SAG members reportedly received multiple ballots. In short, this mass postcard mailing was another exercise in futility by SAG’s negotiators, and the results are meaningless. We have made a fair offer, with significant gains in salary and new media. That offer remains on the table, for the time being, despite steadily deteriorating economic conditions. In the meantime, we and all of the other industry guilds have gone back to work, and SAG members continue to miss out on the benefits of a new contract.