Vote Yes…and Twice if you Can

Vote Yes…and Twice if you Can
"Put An End to Performers Prejudice"
by Paul Petersen

Do you remember what "e pluribus unum" stands for? Ask your kids. We're supposed to teach it's meaning in grade school. "Out of Many, One." The future is already here for our Professional Kids. AMC urges our friends and supporters to listen to our young members who are already working across the full spectrum of today's media: film, stage, modeling, television, music and commercials…and playing and learning in the Digital World. The work is all about creating a Performance. That's the common denominator.

The Entertainment Industry has merged into six global corporations, [fact] and the theatrical unions are in drowning in self-inflicted prejudice. The battle over jurisdiction and survival is already here and the two major theatrical unions must avoid War in the Workplace. If SAG and AFTRA fight over Digital Terms and the coming Performance Capture technology the only result will be lower wages and reduced contract protections. We have too many jurisdictions, too much competition, too many contracts, and too many Dues paid to too many unions. It's time we joined the 21st Century.

Let's face facts. The reason there are so many "performer's unions" is that we have been brought up in the age-old caste system among performers who, to be blunt, find it too easy to look down on other performers. In the 30's the Equity Theater Actors looked down on radio and film actors, and this prejudice spawned AFRA and SAG. Then those groups spurned lowly television actors and AFTRA was expanded. These four groups didn't much care for mere "commercial actors," remember, and no one wanted to associate with Background Performers. Primetime actors considered themselves above lowly Daytime actors, Recording Artists were just undesirable ragamuffins, and the high-and-mighty broadcast folks with their phony voices and puffed up hair-dos just mimicked the corporate line and only read what they were told to read.

Voice-over artists, comics, singers, dancers, puppeteers and stunt people all had to fight with the very organizations that now represent them for their place at the table. It's time to put an end to this meaningless prejudice. As Pogo said, "We've met the enemy and THEM is US!"

The National Boards of AFTRA and SAG have voted to approve Consolidation by a Six-to-One margin. The recently elected Majority was voted into office because they promised maturity and common sense. The negative voices you hear come from Old School performers who think they're better than other performers, and who were overwhelmingly voted out of office…twice. Remember the costly election re-run?

The days of allegiance to what amounts to no more than a group of Alphabet Letters are over. SAG, AFTRA, what's the real difference when the work is the same? The proposed Consolidation structure is clearly designed to put all performers under one roof, Actors, Broadcasters and Recording Artists, and each of those into their own separately governed Affiliate.

One Staff is cheaper than having to support Two. One Legal Department is cheaper than Two. One Residual Department is cheaper than Two. One Enforcement Staff is cheaper than Two. One Administration is cheaper than Two. All the above are obvious, and reason enough to vote YES on Consolidation and Affiliation. But there is more…much more.

If these two Unions don't merge our vital Health and Pension plans will NEVER be combined. That's reality. Without Consolidation there is no motivation to put these plans together. If we create this Affiliation with our Yes vote then virtually every dollar earned in an Affiliate's jurisdiction will be combined, and then that income can all count toward reaching the increasing Qualifying threshold. That just makes sense, but without a Yes Vote it won't happen.

The Kids who belong to both SAG and AFTRA can vote twice in this coming referendum. You will receive two packets and two ballots. Dual union members will see an immediate lowering of their basic dues. That's a fact, and reason enough to Vote Yes…Twice! The Affirmative Votes of our Dual Members are vital.

Unions depend on Membership Solidarity for leverage at the bargaining table, and we have two crucial contract negotiations looming on the horizon…the Commercials Contract in the Fall of this year, and in early 2004, the Theatrical. I don't have to remind you of what happened on the last Commercial Contract. Increased power and leverage will be needed to organize the world of Music Videos and Print Work. Extending the reach and effectiveness of Global Rule One is imperative because our kids are working all over the world. Our Background Performers need the increased power of a combined union so they aren't treated like 2nd class citizens. If you want National Work Standards for children then you need a single union that speaks with One Voice. We can't easily organize the work place unless we organize ourselves, and that alone is reason enough for a Yes Vote.

If your child is a "Must Join" when they book their next union job I urge you to seriously consider joining NOW because the Initiation Fee will go up to $1,975.00 if Consolidation is approved, so join either union before June 1st 2003 if you are eligible.

Ballots will be mailed out on June 9th…and I urge you to Vote Yes…and Twice if you can. We who serve the interests of this Industry's children, who daily deal with competing interests, sincerely believe that, based on our experience and frontline service, Consolidation and Affiliation is the only rational option for performers of any age, but especially the young performer.

President Lincoln said it best as he fought to preserve the Union. "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Voting Twice for Solidarity,
Paul Petersen,
President & Founder,
A Minor Consideration