TITLE 29 > CHAPTER 11 > SUBCHAPTER V > Sec. 481. of the National Labor Code reads in part “Such moneys of a labor organization may be utilized for notices, factual statements of issues not involving candidates, and other expenses necessary for the holding of an election.”
So now here’s the question that every member should be asking themselves. Did the slogans, and platitudes you were bombarded with in e-mails, dues statements, residual payments, telemarketing calls (using our dues dollars) qualify as FACTUAL STATEMENTS and were they NECESSARY for the holding of an election?
One post card ballyhooed “A Chance to strengthen your career just came in the mail?” Factual statement or subtle bribe? Another touted that “…consolidation is our best chance to combine our health plans and maximize our pensions.” Factual Statement? Not according to the Mercer memorandum! In fact, it indicated just the opposite. Another Headlined “Don’t Buy the employer “Spin” on Consolidation.” What employer spin! Hardly factual, since our employers never issued one press release, or mailed one flier expressing any opinion on consolidation. The “Spin” came from our leadership! Every day, a never ending stream of it arrived in our SAG mail. A deluge of propaganda-- but FACTUAL INFORMATION—Hardly! In fact, in all the fliers, inserts, emails and magazines, the C&A packet was never directly referenced!
Now as to Things Necessary for the holding of an election! Was it really necessary to take SAG staff away from their jobs of SERVING the membership, and bus them off to the Federal Building-- to SELL the membership? And was it NECESSARY to hire a high priced PR firm? A firm, by the way, whose slogan was NOT “We’ll Help You Get Out Those Facts!” but rather “We Change Behavior!” And they tried their damnedest to try and sell us on consolidation, the same way they might huckster soap, automobiles or hemorrhoid medicine. And all the while shrinking our SAG treasury.
Oh, and talk about runaway productions--let’s not forget about those irritating phone calls from strangers calling all the way from Canada ASKING YOU HOW YOU WERE GOING TO VOTE!
So, there you are. Do you think that all of the millions of your dues dollars that were spent on consolidation were used for FACTUAL STATEMENTS OF ISSUES and things NECESSARY FOR THE HOLDING OF AN ELECTION? If not, you might want to make a phone call of your own to the SAG Leadership for an explanation, or check with the NLRB http://www.nlrb.gov/ and most certainly, you will want to vote for strong leadership that will put the membership first--- by making sure this sort of arrogant misuse of power and money will never again be used to manipulate the members of our great guild..
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