Comment

Comment by The Wells Brothers yesterday

 

Screen Actors Guild Hawaii Conservatory Hosts a Meet & Greet 
with 
“ Last Resort” Casting Director Katie Doyle

 

When: 7-8 p.m., Friday, February 10, 2012

 

Where: The Musicians Union Building

Studio One

949 Kapiolani Blvd.

Honolulu, HI

Parking is limited.

 

Cost: Free

 

Bring your current headshot and resume!  

 

If you have already submitted your headshot/resume to Katie, you do not have to attend the meet/greet.

 

The event is only open to paid-up SAG members in good standing. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of young performers under 18 years-old are welcome. PLEASE BRING YOUR SAG MEMBERSHIP CARD (paid thru April 30, 2012)FOR ADMITTANCE.

Comment by Paul Edney on February 2, 2012 at 2:54pm

.
Thanks John,
It's very sad that anyone would want to destroy a Guild that is held in such high esteem, so it can merge with a union with low standards.
.

Comment by John A. Woodward "Woody" on February 2, 2012 at 8:24am

Here it is fellow actors.  Read em and weep.  

     http://www.sag.org/files/sag/documents/Merger%20Agreement%20Final%2...

Comment by Teddy Wells on February 1, 2012 at 10:11pm

Very informative debate going on here. I'm learning something.

Comment by Paul Edney on February 1, 2012 at 9:42pm

.

Louie,
Thanks for confirming the whopping increases if the new union gets voted in.
Dues:

70% increase for SAG members
55% increase for AFTRA members

Enrollment fees:

34% increase for SAG members
87.5% increase for AFTRA members

.

Comment by Louie Boria on February 1, 2012 at 9:35pm

The merger agreement sets the new union's initiation fee at $3,000. The current SAG initiation fee is $2,277 and the AFTRA fee is $1,600.

Base dues will be $198 per year. It's now $116 per year for SAG and $128 per year for AFTRA. Work dues will be 1.575 percent of all earnings up to $500,000 earned under SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreements.

But there is an exception for members who work under a single-unit or freelance broadcaster agreement. Those members will pay 1.575 percent of their earnings up to $100,000, and another .274 percent of their earnings between $100,000 and $250,000.

Three years after the merger, initiation fees and base dues will increase by 2 percent.

The documents also spell out governance -- the merged union, for instance, will start out with co-presidents, co-secretary-treasurers and board members from each union. They also will have co-national executive directors.

No later than September, 2013, the merged union will hold a convention to elect an executive vice president and vice presidents. The president and secretary-treasurer will be elected by a vote of the entire membership.

Under the proposed agreement, any SAG or AFTRA member in good standing will automatically become a member of the merged union.

But while now, AFTRA membership is open to anyone willing to pay the initiation fee, prospective members will have to meet conditions to join the merged union.

Comment by Paul Edney on February 1, 2012 at 8:41pm

Rolf,
There never was any dispute over the Boards voting numbers or percentages. Both Boards were stacked in favor of the merger from the very beginning. That's a known fact. The outcome was a foregone conclusion. But the same Board votes and percentages are irrelevant because it's the membership that ultimately decides on the proposed merger - as it should be.

It's a given that the AFTRA membership will vote yes (they always have in the past 3 attempts). The SAG vote needs 60% of those who vote to pass. 59.99% or less means the merger proposal is history for the fourth time in a row.

Using your figure, in the new union, a Hawai'i member who decides to work in Hollywood for a couple of weeks or so would have to pay a whopping $2,630 for the privilege !!

You have been given wrong information that an actor does not have to pay the difference. Believe me I know this from firsthand experience, I had to pay the difference (both SAG and AFTRA). I know many other Hawai'i actors who have had to do the same thing. Ask Regina Bailey (Hawai'i SAG Board member) for example, she'll tell you. Before last Christmas, she spent some time working in Hollywood on AFTRA shows.

Also, call Brenda at the Hawai'i SAG office (808-596-0388), she'll tell you about the difference that has to be paid by Hawai'i SAG members working in Hollywood.

There is no question that the proposed merger, if passed, will hit Hawai'i actors where it hurts - in their wallet, with the whopping increase in dues and enrollment fees. That's a fact cannot be denied.
.

Comment by Rolf Burton on February 1, 2012 at 5:09pm

It would be great if people could post links to where they get their numbers from.  Without a link its hard to believe "approximate" numbers.

The AFTRA national board vote was 94%-6% in favor.

The SAG National Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved the same merger package with a vote of 87.1% - 12.9%.

Your elected officials overwhelmingly support this merger. 

I got these numbers from the link below to the AFTRA website.

http://www.aftra.com/6D4AAFEEE63943E7BE41C0314393AFA0.htm

Most of the people against the merger were voted out of office two or three years ago because their way didn't work.

We must join forces with all performers so we have one voice against the monopolies that control our industry.

Please contact AFTRA if you have any questions 323-634-8100.  I just talked to someone there yesterday. 

These are the current AFTRA rules I got from speaking to a staff member at AFTRA. 

For initiation fees: If you have been a member for 36 months outside L.A. you never have to pay the difference if you decide to work in L.A. 

For "Right to Work" for less States they give you even more of a break so it's only 12 months.

Currently it is only $370 dollars to join AFTRA in Hawaii plus the current base dues.  Join now and you can still vote on the merger.  When merger goes through you will be a member of the new SAG-AFTRA union.

Only people delinquent on their dues had to be paid up by January 30th to vote.  Any new person that joins can still vote.

Don't believe what I say though.  Call AFTRA (323-634-8100) or go to AFTRA.org and find out for yourself.

Comment by Paul Edney on February 1, 2012 at 10:47am

.
Just to clarify my post,
The $3,000 proposed enrollment fee represents:
87.5% increase over the current AFTRA rate.
34% increase over the current SAG rate.

The $3,000 rate is for those who work in more than one location, like Hawai'i and Hollywood for example, like many of us here. If you just join in Hawai'i and never travel, there will be a break. But if you go to the mainland you will have to pay the difference to bring it up to the $3,000 rate. So this will represent a whopping increase for Hawai'i members who want "to spread their wings".

Of the approx. 120,000 actors in SAG and approx. 65,000 in AFTRA, only approx. 25,000 belong to both unions (dual card holders).


Taking into account the dual card holders, you have a total of approx. 160,000 actors who might be in the new union. So, only approx. 16% of actors in the proposed union will see any savings. The other 84% will be paying much more in their yearly dues as follows:
For SAG members (only), your yearly dues will increase by 70%.
For AFTRA members (only), your yearly dues will increase by 55%.

The whopping increase in the enrollment fee and the dues is in the written proposal that's now online, and this will go out with the ballot. So, there won't be any changes between now and the mailing of the ballot on February 27th.

It is pretty obvious from the above figures that a lot more money will be coming out of your pocket for dues if the proposed union is voted on. And I haven't even mentioned the percentage withheld each year based on what you earn.

I think you know which way to vote.

The above membership totals are rounded and approximate because they fluctuate from month to month.

Comment by Todd Allen Peterson on February 1, 2012 at 9:37am

Yes.  Thanks again Rolf.

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