Why The Smoke & Mirrors, SAG & AMPTP?

I don’t see why the SAG National Majority and their pals, the Big Media labor lawyers, are needing to waste more than an hour in talks since all they’re doing is Xeroxing AFTRA’s TV/Theatrical Contract. These past two days have consisted of nothing more than playing at negotiations. Sure, feature players will be thrown a few bones regarding French hours and force majeure and other stuff the AMPTP was going to back off anyway. Heck, the plan by the AMPTP all along was to make a big show of only giving in to the so-called “moderates” once they came into power in order to make them look all that much better compared to the “militants”? Nice to know that the SAG National Majority is following the AMPTP’s script to perfection. So color me unimpressed when this deal is reached lickety split. And the heavy-lifting residuals issues really necessary to the continued financial security of SAG and its members will be left off the table.

Read all the DHD Coverage here

SAGWatch BLOG

From Digital Media Law:

SAG and the AMPTP ended their second day of talks at about 10:00 p.m. this evening (Weds.), but will resume tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. for a third, previously unannounced day of talks, said a source close to the negotiations. No other info was available on the progress of negotiations, but this is obviously a hopeful sign in a situation that’s been largely devoid of them until the last 30 days.

Negotiations had resumed Tuesday, accompanied by dueling protests, one from an organization of below-the-liners calling itself Back to Work, organized largely by camera operators Jon Philion and Andrew Rowlands and cinematographers Ed Gutentag and Bruce McCleery, and the other from Membership First. BtW was urging a deal, while MF was protesting the likelihood that the talks would result in what they consider an unacceptable deal. There were about 100 protesters in all, reports Variety.

FROM: Drew Mayer-Oakes, TXMPA Legislative Committee

We are fast approaching the Texas Motion Picture Alliance Lobby Day
for 2009. Thank you for your participation last session – we need
your help again. If you are able to volunteer again, the TXMPA needs
you! Lobby Day is March 4th, with orientation and training for new
team members the evening of March 3rd, in Austin. This year we are
signing up on a fantastic volunteer management system, so please take
a moment to register at http://txmpa.volunteerhub.com . Once you sign
up on this system, we will make assignments based on your home
address, so be sure to include that. The form is really
self-explanatory.

And if you are already planning on coming, please SIGN UP so that we
can communicate with you directly about your legislative assignments.

Here are the details:

Lobby Day Sign-up!

Time to get off the mark, get on the bus, get your act together and
let your voice be heard. Time to sign up for LOBBY DAY!

Click here http://txmpa.volunteerhub.com) and sign up for training and
assignments on March 3 and 4!

We’ll ask you where you live and assign you to a team that will
visit four or five members of the Texas Legislature on March 4.

TXMPA LOBBY DAY AGENDA:

Tuesday March 3rd – Volunteers arrive in Austin
Check in at Austin Studios, 1901 E. 51st Street, 78723
7:00 PM – Welcome
7:30 PM – Training/orientation for volunteers

Wednesday, March 4th -
7:30 AM – Lobby Day Rally at the Capitol – south steps
Join members of the Austin Alliance  http://www.theallianceaustin.com)
and show support for competitive incentives. Wear something red!
9:00 AM – 11:30AM – Capitol office visits
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM – Break
1:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Capitol office visits

Make your hotel reservations 2/13 at the special $89 rate!

Clarion Inn & Suites Conference Center
2200 IH 35 S.
Austin, Texas 78704
512-444-0561, 877-424-6423

Tell them you are with the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA) to get
our group rate.

Sincerely,

Drew Mayer-Oakes, TXMPA Legislative Committee
TEXAS MOTION PICTURE ALLIANCE

Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:34:05 -0800
To: SAG National Board of Directors and Alternate National Directors
Subject: Message from Doug Allen

I have been informed by SAG counsel that the National Board has terminated my employment as National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of Screen Actors Guild. I am disappointed in the board’s decision, which was made by written assent, and I am proud of my record as SAG’s NED and Chief Negotiator.

I wish Screen Actors Guild and its members success and I have been honored to serve them. I have particularly enjoyed leading the wonderful men and women on the SAG staff and serving with SAG’s National President Alan Rosenberg and National Secretary-Treasurer Connie Stevens.

I have made some wonderful friendships with many SAG elected leaders, members and staff and will cherish those friendships forever.

My best wishes to you all,
Doug Allen

For a closer look at what transpired today I suggest everyone check out:

DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD and
DIGITAL MEDIA LAW

Accept a truly lousy contract now and hope to undo the damage in three years? Or reject the contract and take a strike authorization vote?

What happens if the guild does take that strike authorization vote and it is defeated? What happens if it passes? Do we really want to strike at a time when the national economy and millions of families are in financial distress?

Do we really believe that SAG, WGA and AFTRA will come together in three years as a group, united in a way that they have not been during this round of contract negotiations?

What is the best hope for the non-star actors who rely on contracted minimums and residuals to pay their bills and try to support their families?

Today, Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily has posted a proposal to SAG. Below is an excerpt. I suggest you go to DHD and read the whole proposal and then read all of the comments.

The decision by SAG president Alan Rosenberg and executive director and chief negotiator Doug Allen to delay the Strike Authorization Ballot originally scheduled to start January 3rd should be recognized as the smart move to make now when SAG’s solidarity is splitting down the middle. It is a mature recognition that both sides on this issue raise valid points and deserve to be heard before anything with the word “strike” on it is considered by members.The “Yes” camp believes that actors will be stuck with what is inarguably a lousy deal undermining residuals not just for the next three years but perhaps forever given Big Media’s historical refusal to contractually revisit new technologies. The “No” camp thinks that a Strike Authorization will inevitably lead to an ill-timed strike in this economic recession and that SAG should join the other Hollywood guilds in 3 years to try to negotiate better terms with the AMPTP.So what was supposed to be a January 24th weekend National Board meeting has now been moved up to January 12th and 13th. It’ll constitute one of the two plenary face-to-face confabs held each year. The NY Division and the Regional Divisions should have no trouble traveling to the Hollywood division’s backyard with so much advance notice. The point of this decision to delay is to ensure a fair airing of all views. (It even takes into account the “No” vote petition supposedly signed by “well-known” actors even though the list includes no mechanism for verifying the names posted on it.)

I believe that SAG now has a unique opportunity to bypass a strike authorization altogether and place itself in an even stronger negotiating position by following a third and less risky course of action: to vote on the AMPTP’s June 30th contract proposal.

Therefore, I urge SAG to…

See the whole post and comments at Deadline Hollywood Daily

SPEAKERS: A Panel of Speakers from THE ALLIANCE
* Donise Hardy, President, Talent Works-USA
* Veronica Kelly-Albiez, Vice President, DVA Talent
* Liz Atherton, TAG Talent
* Heather Collier, Collier Talent
* Gabe Folse, State Theater

Our September 24 Mixer will feature the panel of Speakers listed above from
THE ALLIANCE, a cooperative of Casting Directors, Talent Agents and Acting
Coaches that provides insights into the needs and concerns of the acting
community. SEE: http://www.theallianceaustin.com/index.h….

This is a very important Mixer and all actors, and those in the film community in general,
are encouraged to attend.

Please pass on information about our Mixers to your friends and associates
in the film/media industries, and if you have a website associated with
those fields, please post our website - www.networkaustinmixer.com

THIS IS AN ALERT TO ALL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD MEMBERS

It is imperative to your well being that you read the TV/THEATRICAL NEGOTIATING UPDATE that was recently mailed to you by Screen Actors Guild and check the box showing support for Doug Allen, Alan Rosenberg and the Negotiating Committee, giving them the authority and ability to go in and negotiate a better deal for you.

We, the membership, need to understand the full impact and ramification of demands being made by the AMPTP and, in particular, the two issues listed below.

Thousand of members will be denied health coverage, pension benefits and residuals.

Free Streaming/Move Over
Streaming network television shows on the internet. There are very important elements of streaming that should be understood.

The AMPTP demands:
· 17 days free streaming for current shows
· 24 days free streaming for new shows, followed by:
· Two consecutive 6-month ‘spurts’ for a payment of 3% of Total Applicable Minimum
· Guest star $85.00
· Day Player $22.77

Why is this a problem? It will not be supplemental income, but replacement income. As free streaming depletes the value of reruns, the first and second rerun residuals will be lost.

· Guest Star “top-of-show” (approximately $6,500), loses 60% of income

1st rerun residual $3,290 – lost
2nd rerun residual $3,290 – lost

· Day Player, scale (approximately $759), loses two-thirds of income

1st rerun residual $759 – lost
2nd rerun residual $759 – lost
In aggregate this represents a potential of 100-200 million dollars.
This lost income will have a profound impact on individual members’ Pension & Health Plans.

Day Player:
· Currently needs about nine days work with 1st and 2nd rerun residuals.
· Without rerun residuals, will need about 27 days work, an almost impossible number of days to reach

Guest Star:
· Currently needs about two guest roles with 1st and 2nd rerun residuals
· Without rerun residuals will need over 3 guest starring roles to qualify

Thousands of members that now qualify will find themselves without health coverage, pension benefits and residuals, turning our union into an elitist union representing only those temporarily the most successful.

Clips:
· Producers may use clips for promotional purposes without consent or payment
· For any other purpose, consent is required and negotiable… but cannot be negotiated at time of original employment

This preserves the principle that your work can only be used in and for the film on which you are engaged, allowing you and your heirs to retain control of your name, voice and likeness.

AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, in order to build a new industry based on clips, the AMPTP is demanding:
· we give up consent and negotiation;
· allow them to mix and mash clips: “mashing” – putting together 2 or more clips from different sources, creating a new product. we will have no control over how clips are mixed or mashed, leaving the door open for a total perversion of our creative work.
• For a payment of:
· under 2 minutes – $25.00
· under 4 minutes – $75.00
· over 4 minutes – $22.77

You need to clearly understand that you will be denied employment if you do not accept these nominal payments and give up your right of consent.

It is critical that you be informed and weigh in on these two issues and the others outlined in the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Update. Our membership, the public and members of the industry at large should understand we are fighting for the basic bread and butter issues of pension benefits, health coverage, the protection of our work and the opportunity to make a living in our chosen careers.

This should be considered supplemental to the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Update which you have just received from the Guild.

Fraternally
Ed Asner
Tom Bower
David Clennon
Rob Schneider

————————————

To: My fellow TEXAS film workers, from the Red River to the Rio Grande, from the piney woods in the east to the dusty rolling hills in the west.

On many of my countless trips between Austin and Shreveport, I often think about what Texas film workers are doing with their lives. I wonder how they are supporting their families, how the strain of working out of town is affecting them and whether or not we will see Texas rise up to be the industry destination it once was and we know it can be.

A few weeks ago Jeanette Scott, local Set Decorator and Austin Film Society board member, visited my office to discuss ways to raise funds for The Texas Motion Picture Alliance , a nonprofit organization founded to become the legislative advocate for the film, video, interactive, and digital media production industries in the Lone Star State. Many people have worked tireless hours without compensation to raise funds and support this movement. Tom Copeland and numerous others have also donated many hours to the same cause. Elected officials are consumed by the thousands of bills that are proposed each legislative session. Getting our bill passed requires the hard work of an experienced lobbyist. The main goal of TXMPA is to raise funds to pay for a lobbyist so the Texas State Legislature can hear our demands to increase the film incentives.

Those of us familiar with the movement to raise the incentive package to bring films home to TEXAS (not just Austin but all of TEXAS!) know that in the last Legislative session Film Fleet and its sister companies donated thousands of dollars to this cause. Jeanette assured me that the money was well spent, but now they need more!

This led us to the brainstorming of additional groups to talk to. My question for Jeanette was this: Aren’t the TEXAS crew members behind this? Let’s get their support!

When each and every one of us is on the set, if you need sun block – see the medic; if you need a snack – go to Craft Service; if your car had a flat that morning – see Transpo; need some tape – go to Camera. We all know the drill. Now there is another department “on set” to take care of us. It is none other than the Texas Motion Picture Alliance. The TXMPA will secure the right people to help raise the incentive package, but they need YOU behind them so that we all can bring films home to TEXAS!

I propose that each and every one of you join this organization. The membership fee is $50.00 per year. Fifty dollars is less than one tank of gas, less than one dinner out and less than my yearly latte budget.

Film Fleet and its sister companies will pledge an additional $10.00 for every new paid TXMPA membership. I will take it one step further. If there any film crew member that cannot afford the membership fee right now, e-mail your story directly to me. The address is  phil at filmfleet.com. Instead of a crew t-shirt on the next project, I will assist you in paying your membership.

Not only am I asking crew members to join, I am soliciting all industry related vendors such as Longhorn Car & Truck Rentals, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Capps Truck & Van Rental, Crocker Crane Company, Omni Hotels, Rush Truck Centers, Play-Mor Trailers, Southwest Airlines, Raco Leasing, Hope Lumber Company, SWW Production Rentals, Juan In A Million and more! If you think a vendor could benefit from the efforts of TXMPA, forward me their information. I will contact them directly.

Like all of you, I do not want to work out-of-state. I want to work at home, in Texas, with my family and friends by my side.

Do the right thing. Join TXMPA today. You are just a click away… www.txmpa.org!

I, Phil Schriber, wrote and approved this letter.

All my best,

Phil Schriber