| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Oct | Dec » | |||||
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | ||||||
- Animation Contract (6)
- Basic Cable (5)
- Commercials Contract (66)
- Editorial (9)
- Exhibit A - TV Theatrical (367)
- Interactive (16)
- Media Business (67)
- Miscellaneous Hate Mail and Threats (3)
- SAG Politics (234)
- SAG-AFTRA (185)
- Uncategorized (23)
- Union Politics (28)
- January 6, 2009: We're Not Counting on it...but
- January 6, 2009: Moonves: Maybe 2009 Will Improve
- January 6, 2009: Commercials - The Next Great (Endangered) Frontier
- January 6, 2009: Everywhere you look...
- January 5, 2009: Nine Broadway Shows Close on Same Day
- January 5, 2009: WSJ: Ad Spending Expected to Drop 6.2% this year
- January 5, 2009: Commissioner Gordon Departs
- January 5, 2009: So, How's Your Sense of Humor This Morning?
- January 5, 2009: Allens Heading for RBDs in Search of Support
- January 4, 2009: Worth a Read, as Usual
So, How’s that Non Disparagement Thing Working Out?
On your sets, have you noticed a change?
We’ve seen signs that at 5757, the message is hitting home. We think it’s just a coincidence that the whole page on the TV-Theatrical negotiations disappeared from the SAG website - because a lot of the really hostile material hasn’t been purged (like Doug Allen’s “letter” from the Fall 2007 magazine.) But the rhetoric has seemed to be toned down lately, as two things have happened.
1. The unions have moved to put together joint proposals for the upcoming Commericals Contract negotiations.
2. The new leadership has taken hold, and Membership First has lost control of the machinery of SAG, including its website and magazine.
The official cease fire hasn’t meant the end of sniping. Membership First supports including some former SAG board members, who aren’t covered by the non-disparagement pact, have been out with occasional blasts. For the most part those efforts to rekindle the hostility of the past two years seem to have been ignored.
Also, a lot of the political energy and firepower has been directed elsewhere, as the national elections come down to the wire. We’ll be a bit unfair and note that the name Membership First echoes in a certain campaign. We’ll wait until tomorrow to say whether the slogan has had the same result nationally that it did within SAG.
November 3, 2008 at 16:02
Some commenters continue to refer to SAG’s NED as a scab.
That’s disparagement.
November 3, 2008 at 18:09
That’s actually an interesting question. When does someone stop being a scab?
November 3, 2008 at 18:45
It’s not disparagement if it’s true. Is it true that he crossed and played for the NFL when the players were on strike? If it is, then he will forever be. If it’s not, then he’s not. If he learned his lesson, and apologized(if he actually crossed the picket), then he’d maybe be considered recovered, but still a ____. That being said, I’ve only heard the rumor, but don’t know it as a fact.
November 3, 2008 at 19:09
“Some commenters continue to refer to SAG’s NED as a scab.
That’s disparagement.”
Why is that “disparagement”?
Oh - I get it…..You haven’t read the newspaper accounts of the NFL Players’ strike of 1974, and of the picket lines, and of the rookies and free agents who crossed the picket line and played in the game in order to “make the team”, plus the newspaper interview (at the time) with Doug Allen himself speaking of it.
My answer to Brian McCabe: “When does someone stop being a scab?” - - -
When someone owns up to the fact that they scabbed and then hid that fact from the SAG committee that vetted them, and says “I screwed up!” That’s when someone stops being a scab.
November 4, 2008 at 06:30
I’m with Tom. The evidence/facts against Mr. Allen were clear; he was a scab. And under the AA credo, he will, at best, always be a “recovering” scab, but a scab nonetheless.
Tom brings up something interesting, which I didn’t know. Did DA really hide this fact from the vetters when being considered, then offered, the job? If true, this not only says something about him, but about the vetters. All his actions were quite public, and aired. That the vetting committee either didn’t know of, or ignored, this fact is a sad comment.
A statement of fact is not disparagement (as I read the definition).
GET OUT AND VOTE!!
November 4, 2008 at 17:39
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are wrong when you say:
“2. The new leadership has taken hold, and Membership First has lost control of the machinery of SAG, including its website and magazine.”
According to the just received SAG Magazine the voting composition of the Editorial Sub-Committee remains the same. Five votes for Hollywood, three votes for New York and one vote for the RBD.
Nine votes in total and not a U4S member to be found.
November 4, 2008 at 18:33
Beasor: “According to the just received SAG Magazine the voting composition of the Editorial Sub-Committee remains the same. Five votes for Hollywood, three votes for New York and one vote for the RBD.”
NEW YORK BOARD MEMBER LIZ ZAZZI IS NOW CHAIR OF THE COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE.
“SCUMBAG” BATEMAN IS O-U-T AS WEBSITE SUB-CHAIR.
The new chairs are cleaning out the MF muck.
November 5, 2008 at 16:22
PS- As Beasor states…not a UFS person to be found…because Membership First - who still control the Hollywood Board (that determines committee population) - has REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WILL OF THE HOLLYWOOD MEMBERSHIP and have chosen NOT to include UFS on committees, or on the National Executive Committee. All the more reason for members in Hollywood to look to the 2009 SAG elections to get the rest of Membership First out of 5757 - mainly because of their absolute unwillingness to be inclusive. If they won’t share power, then throw them out.
November 6, 2008 at 07:12
Not entirely: Marcia Wallace is the National Chair of the Comedians Committee which I’m the RBD Co-Chair of. It’s a start. There were some other changes to the Make-up of Committees at the Plenary that I don’t recall.
November 6, 2008 at 09:18
Rik -
Congratulations to you, Marcia, and others who have obtained positions to serve.
As you know, the National Board determines committee chairs.
That’s how fresh and fair chairs and sub-chairs came into being at the plenary.
But the Divisions populate committees under the chairs.
Membership First still refuses to loosen their claw-grip on the lever of power at SAG
to the extent that they still rule the Hollywood Board
and refuse to include UFS in committees - contravening the will of the Hollywood members.
All the more reason for Hollywood members to continue to remove the MFers from the Hollywood Board in the 2009 elections.
November 6, 2008 at 19:46
Here here Tom! I’m in agreement with you.
November 7, 2008 at 08:57
Back on the magazine…. I’ve just glanced through the magazine, and for the first time in recent history, there was actually a letter criticizing the actions of the SAG leadership. It’s small, but it’s a change from the past couple of years, and at least a mini-step move towards communications that reflect our entire membership.
November 7, 2008 at 09:22
Terrence Beasor is at least one beat behind the times.
“According to the just received SAG Magazine the voting composition of the Editorial Sub-Committee remains the same. Five votes for Hollywood, three votes for New York and one vote for the RBD.”
The listing of the chair and population of the Editorial Sub-Committee in the Fall 2008 SCREEN ACTOR magazine referred to by Mr Beasor has changed since the masthead was put to bed - due primarily but not exclusively to the newly elected National Board majority. He is correct, however in pointing out that the Membership First Party that still hangs onto power in Hollywood has pointedly excluded their newly-elected UFS brethren from this (and many other important) committees.