November 11, 2008 by Number Six.

We’ve been amused by the latest explosion in the contretemps raging over the SAG Holiday Hosts Commitee, an “only in Hollywood style flap” that pits the very vocal creator of the committee against the SAG Hollywood Board, which apparently ousted him and installed its own leader. 

The first thing we have to say is that we view the Holiday Hosts Committee as a really nice gesture, but something that adds absolutely nothing to the union in its core mission, which is to improve wages and working conditions for its members. It’s a great idea, really nice, but at the end of the day, it’s a “who cares?”

That having been said, DeWayne Williams clearly DOES care. He invented the committee, started the committee, built the committee, and obviously cares what it does. But the Hollywood leadership has decided, for whatever reasons, that he’s no longer welcome, not just as chair but even as a member of the committee. We’re not second guessing their decision - maybe they’ve got good reasons for their decision. Maybe the newly installed chair is better at it than DeWayne Williams. Whatever.

But what we’re hearing is that the Board, which is still controlled by Membership First and is chaired by First VP Anne-Marie Johnson, did more than just diss Williams. It made sure he and others who wanted to make changes in the proposed committee structure didn’t get heard, even, according to one, removing him from the room at Monday’s meeting after a board member said something negative about the individual. And that’s just wrong.

But here’s what’s even more wrong. The Unite for Strength directors newly elected to the board were also refused committee positions - important ones - with a variety of excuses as to why they couldn’t be seated.

This is Membership First flexing what little muscle it has left in the last remaining bastion of SAG in which it controls the room. It’s something for SAG voters - who elected the Unite for Strength representatives - to remember, all year long until next summer, when it’s election time again.

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November 11, 2008 by WW.

You’ll remember the lawsuit filed against embattled SAG NED Doug Allen’s former union relating to the union subsidiary company he helped set up called Players, Inc., that Allen’s wife worked for at a fat salary. Allen testified recently against the retired players, who had complained that Players, Inc. cut them out of multi million dollar deals.The jury’s in, and Allen’s side lost. Damages: $7.1 million actual, $21 million in punitive damages.According to the Associated Press: 

A federal jury on Monday ordered the NFL Players Association to pay $28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images.The jury said the union owed the retirees $7.1 million in actual damages for failing to include them in lucrative marketing deals with Electronic Arts Inc., the maker of the popular “Madden NFL” video games, sporting card companies and other sponsorship agreements.Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of 2,056 retired players who contend the union failed to actively pursue marketing deals on their behalf with video games, trading cards and others sports products.The lawyers and judge still must decide how to divvy up the jury’s award, some of which will go to attorneys’ fees.

We haven’t seen any comment from Allen, who testified at the trial, but the NFLPA says it will appeal.

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