Dear Fellow Member,
and Anyone Else who gives a Damn about the Truth.
My name is Gary Epp. Some of you may know me, many of you probably do not. I chose to retire from SAG politics a few years ago, when my term as a SAG vice president expired. I am not a member of either "Restore Respect", "Membership First", or any other political faction involved in current SAG politics. It was my intention to remain in retirement until yesterday, when I received the latest flier from Ms Gilbert and the "Restore Respect" slate in my mailbox.
The first statement on the flier, that the end of the strike was "delayed" by the Performers Alliance, or anyone other than the representatives of the advertisers, is an OUTRAGEOUS BALD FACED LIE!!! I have heard this lie before, but never in any communication directly from our president.
Injury is added to the insult of this lie, when one realizes that Ms Gilbert refused to make an appearance during the strike, owing to the fact that she had quote, "LOST HER NANNY".
If Ms Gilbert had ever cared enough to show up at a picket line, or on a phone bank, she would have seen brave union mothers, toddlers in tow, and babies on their hips standing in 100 degree heat fighting for their homes and futures.
Her blatant misrepresentation of the facts is an insult to us all. I was a member of the 2000 Commercial Negotiating Committee. I was in the negotiating room along with 25 other members of that committee, and I know for a fact, that the reason the strike went on so long, was that the advertisers refused to withdraw their demand that we give our current Class A residual structure-- something none of us was ever willing to do. Pay for Play on cable was off the table well before the end of the strike. If Ms. Gilbert had ever cared enough to involve herself, or asked someone who was actually there, she would know this.
I have heard other misrepresentations concerning the outcome of the 2000 strike.
FOR THE RECORD:
- 1) Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA, secured a 140% increase in cable, moving the 13 week cycle maximum payment from $1,013.00 dollars, to $2,460.00. The projected average "pay for play" payment was around 1,700.00. per cycle.
You heard right, the actual deal we came home with was in fact far better in real dollars to our members, than the "pay for play" proposal we began with.
- 2). We secured the Internet as a UNION SHOP. This is something our own senior staff said was impossible.
- 3). We refused to give up Class A residuals on broadcast television and won.
- 4). We maintained PAX TV as a residual based network, even after senior staff had told us we must at least expect to give that up. We did not.
In conclusion I would like to remind everyone of the exchange between Richard Masur, and the CNN host in an interview the morning after the strike was resolved. Mr. Masur was asked point blank, “Who had won?” His response was that nobody wins in a strike. To which the CNN Anchor immediately said, "But Mr. Massur, isn't it true that Screen Actors Guild secured virtually every one of it's demands?”
EVEN CNN KNEW WE HAD WON!
I don't pretend to know why the elected leadership would take the demoralizing, and inaccurate positions they have since this administration was elected. But I think it's a question that you as a member had better ask yourself before you mark your ballot.
Sincerely:
Gary Epp
Former Vice President SAG
Proud member of the 2000 Commercial Negotiating Team
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Letter from GARY EPP, former SAG Vice-President & supporter of the recent Melissa Gilbert--CEO Bob Pisano Consolidation:
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