September 16, 2008 by admin.

AFTRA’s President, Roberta Reardon, is out with her own message to members tonight.

September 16, 2008

Dear AFTRA Member:

After an eventful summer, AFTRA members are working harder than ever before to create more employment opportunities and stronger contract enforcement for performers.

Your union has successfully pursued more than $17 million in claims for AFTRA members for fiscal year ending April 30, 2008, including claims for replays of programs and commercials. This represents an increase of almost $3 million over last year. As you also know, AFTRA members have successfully resolved five national labor agreements so far this year, including: Sound Recordings, Network TV, Non-Broadcast/Industrial, CBS/ABC Network News, and this summer, the Primetime TV (Exhibit A to the Network Code).

Recently, AFTRA members began a preliminary dialogue with employers for the AFTRA Interactive Agreement, which expires on December 31, 2008. In August, AFTRA and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) also announced an agreement with the advertising industry’s ANA/AAAA Joint Policy Committee on Broadcast Talent Union Relations (JPC) to extend the Commercial Contracts through March 31, 2009. You will be hearing more about member preparation for this contract negotiation in the coming months.

In the meantime, be sure to catch your fellow AFTRA members during the new television season on such AFTRA primetime TV dramas and situation comedies as “Rules of Engagement,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Head Case,” “Nurse Jackie,” “Til Death,” “Reaper,” “Roman’s Empire,” “90210,” “Gary Unmarried,” “The Unusuals,” “Better off Ted,” “Prince of Motor City,” and “Bad Mother’s Handbook.”

I also want to recognize the outstanding work of all of those members involved with EMMY-nominated AFTRA programs, including: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Damages,” “Bernard and Doris,” “The Company,” “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter,” “The Amazing Race,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “The 80th Annual Academy Awards,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Colbert Report,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Deal or No Deal,” and “Survivor.” Our congratulations to all of the talented individuals, both in-front of and behind-the-camera, who contributed to the success of these and other EMMY-nominated programs.

Additionally, I’m very pleased to announce the date for AFTRA’s award program – the 2009 AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards (The AMEES) – which will be held on March 9, 2009, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Proceeds from The AMEES and donations to the AFTRA Foundation provide support for special programs of value to performers, broadcasters, and recording artists. More details about The AMEES will be announced soon.

Given all that’s going on, I hope you will still find the time this busy season to attend a meeting at your Local. Also check for updates and information on www.aftra.com. AFTRA is committed to providing members with more helpful information and education as we all move forward. To this end, we recently sent all members a simple questionnaire asking about your specific union interests and concerns. The idea is to improve our communications and further develop our programs to meet your needs. Please take the time to complete the form, which you can access here.

And, on a more somber note, as we’ve all witnessed this week, workers everywhere are facing hardship in an increasingly challenging economic climate. It’s more important than ever for AFTRA members to support and participate in their union. Given AFTRA members’ creativity, collective strength, solidarity, and commitment, I have no doubt that we will continue to make positive strides forward and embrace new opportunities for all members.

In solidarity,

Roberta Reardon

Posted in Exhibit A - TV Theatrical, SAG-AFTRA | Print | 24 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by admin.

In what seems like a response to the AMPTP, which says SAG doesn’t have jurisdiction in new media, but could also be another slap at AFTRA, which does have new media jurisdiction though not exclusively, SAG’s latest Hollywood Branch Call Sheet Newsletter is out with what can be read as a warning or a threat, depending upon your perspective. Or maybe it’s just a re-statement of long standing, if not well known, policy.

A letter by SAG First VP Kent McCord says effective December 31, 2008, SAG will “vigorously” enforce Global Rule 1 in new media. That could be interpreted to mean that SAG will attempt to discipline members who works non union in new media. Or it could be interpreted to mean SAG will attempt to discipline members who works in AFTRA’s jurisdiction in new media.

The article, which isn’t yet up on the SAG website, isn’t entirely clear.

“With the holidays quickly approaching and 2008 winding down, another important Screen Actors Guild deadline will take place before the end of the year:

On December 31, 2008, SAG’s Rule One will be vigorously enforced for all new media productions.

What’s Rule One? No member shall work as a performer or make an agreement to work as a performer for any producer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the Guild, which is in full force and effect. (A.) No member shall perform any services as a performer nor make an agreement to perform services as a performer for any producer against whom the Guild is conducting a strike, nor shall any member otherwise violate any strike order of the Guild.

SAG has been covering new media productions for the past few years. In fact, we have more than 700 productions signed to new media agreements, and the number keeps growing. New media has changed the way the world of production works and the new order offers unprecedented opportunities for actors to create and own their projects. Until recently, producing even a short video required a production team and tens of thousands of dollars. Because of the risk involved, only a lucky few ever got the opportunity to produce. The cost of production, promotion and distribution has been drastically reduced, and it’s open season for industrious actors and other creative artists to make their own work and showcase their talents. SAG’s new media contracts make it easy to become signatory.

So don’t let the rumor mill, misinformed agents, or non-union producers and actors fake you into doing non-union new media work. You and your family deserve health and pension benefits and the protections that come with your SAG contracts.

We know the Internet and other new media platforms are here to stay and traditional media companies are retooling to get on this fast track. DO NOT be left behind and find yourself working without union protections and risk being fined, suspended or expelled from your union.”

Posted in Interactive, SAG Politics, Exhibit A - TV Theatrical, SAG-AFTRA | Print | 12 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by Editor.

You’ll remember that late in the just-ended campaign, Membership First posted its “plan” for a push poll referendum of dual card members, which the organization claims could and will lead to SAG taking over acting representation from AFTRA.

We’ll skip past the fact that it’s an absurd fantasy involving that ignores labor law and could cost many actors all their union protections and benefits. Let’s skip past the fact that AFTRA would never buy into it.

Let’s get to the really good part, the part Membership First didn’t tell you - but that the Allens did tell the AFL-CIO. That is that if the “plan” gets implemented, SAG is ready to ankle the AFL-CIO.

Why? The Allens recognize that the “plan” amounts to a massive raid on AFTRA, in total violation of AFL-CIO rules. It’s a violation so over the top that no amount of lobbying the AFL-CIO’s other unions is likely to avoid severe sanctions against SAG.

So, the secret (till now) part of the plan becomes clear. The Allens would get SAG to drop out of the AFL-CIO, before being found guilty of raiding.

Funny that Membership First didn’t put that piece up on their website during the campaign…

Posted in SAG Politics, SAG-AFTRA | Print | 11 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by admin.

ACTRA will poll members about strike

Union says negotiations have yielded little progress

By Etan Vlessing

Sept 16, 2008, 12:16 PM ET

TORONTO — As contract talks between Canadian actors and North American commercial producers continue in deadlock, ACTRA said Tuesday that it will poll its members regarding a possible strike.

Toronto-based ACTRA, which represents 21,000 performers, said that 17 months of negotiations on a National Commercial Agreement have yielded little progress. 

Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s national executive director, said that his bargaining team now requires a strike mandate to back talks with representatives from the Institute of Communications Agencies and the Association of Canadian Advertisers. 

ACTRA said it will tally up strike ballots from its members following an Oct. 14 deadline. 

The last National Commercial Agreement expired June 30. A government conciliator in July stepped in to help restart negotiations between the actors and advertisers, and will next meet with both sides Sept. 25. 

The rising Canadian dollar has meant fewer U.S.-based commercial producers have shot TV ads in Canada in recent years.

Posted in Union Politics | Print | 2 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by WW.

We note the passage of Richard Wright, the keyboard genius who was one of the founding members of Pink Floyd. Wright died of cancer at age 65.

 There’s a great tribute to him on the New York Times site.

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | 3 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by admin.

The push poll trojan referendum on the TV-Theatrical negotiations is over and the postcards should be tabulated by now. We’ve seen no announcement yet from 5757…but then, since the Allens won’t send us their media alerts, maybe it’s just gone to others who’re trying to find a good spin for it.

Board election results are to be announced Friday.

Posted in SAG Politics, Exhibit A - TV Theatrical | Print | 20 Comments »

September 16, 2008 by Editor.

The Variety story quotes a report by Nielsen saying product placement on primetime programming for the first six months of 2008 was down nearly 15%. Even with the drop, Nielsen counted more than 214,000 product placements.The most frequently placed product was Coca-Cola. The shows with the most placements included American Idol, with an astonishing 4636 placements in just six months. More predictably, shows like American Chopper, which is all about products, also made the “most placements” list. Project Runway wasn’t far behind. 

Posted in Media Business, Exhibit A - TV Theatrical | Print | 12 Comments »