“Vote Now on SAG’s tentative TV/Theatrical contract if you’re ready to get back to work…”
(“Yes” For your future campaign)
Well, the Old’ Dog is writing this at 11:00 AM in the morning so most of you who voted “YES” will probably not be reading it until you return from work this evening! Yes, you’re most likely back on the job with more pay, increased residuals, better benefits and more SAG jobs. Huh? Well, maybe tomorrow!
The really funny thing is that the very people that have been pushing the just passed contract which is supposed to get us back to work are already now coming out of the woodwork with excuses of why that ain’t gonna happen.
The USAN/UFS/AFTRA/AMPTP First Baghead Blog is already starting to backtrack with stuff like the Hollywood Reporter story that came out the day after the contract results were announced. It states
“Pilots flying from Los Angeles; Canada, others fuel major drop with incentives.”
But, but…wait I thought all we had to do was ‘okay’ this contract and it would be business as usual, you know with more pay and all that good stuff.
You been Whipsawed, Baby 
Oh, and one of the media supporters of the ‘Yes’ campaign Jonathan Handel’s article in Variety states, “With the SAG contract ratified, will the film business finally get back to normal? Unfortunately, no. Although we'll see a brief spike in production, the business we once knew may never reappear in its previous form.!”
“Vote Now on SAG’s tentative TV/Theatrical contract if you’re ready to get back to work…”
(Yes” For your future campaign)
But, but….
You been Whipsawed, Baby
After an Overwhelming 70 percent of SAG Hollywood members voted for this contract, members return to work in droves. What you didn’t? Well, surely tomorrow. Let’s look at the TV/Theatrical votes for the last decade and see how Overwhelming this vote actually was.
It seems everyone; especially the cow towing press and “go along to-get-along” USAN New York/Branches, who run this union, are talking about how overwhelming this vote has been. The truth is that although it is a clear victory, the fact is that 30 percent of the members, where most of the work is done, voted against it. In fact, it was only in New York and the Branches, where only 25 percent of the work is done, that members voted for it 'overwhelmingly.'
The idea that this vote indicates a rejection of Membership First is really kinda silly. The only thing this vote proves is that when the “go-along-to-get-a-alongs” negotiate a contract a substantial number of members, especially in Hollywood will vote against it.
Now, if you want to talk about an Overwhelming Majority look at the 2001 TV/Theatrical contract negotiated under the leadership of Membership First supporter SAG President Bill Daniels.
97% of Members Vote Yes in Mail Referendum
LOS ANGELES --- Members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have voted to give their approval to the new television and theatrical contract reached in early July between the two unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
In a secret ballot mail referendum conducted between Friday, July 20, and Friday, August 10, a total of 130,292 ballots were mailed to SAG and AFTRA members nationwide. 38,163 ballots were returned, 29.3% of the total.
Of those voting, 36,876 members (96.7%) approved the new contracts, 1,232 members (3.2%) voted no, and 55 ballots (0.1%) were invalid. (SAG Press Release)
---
In 2004 under the TV/Theatrical Contract, the first time Melissa, Pisano and gang negotiated the one year extension, they managed to garner an 88 percent vote by promising the year would give them a chance to get all of our ducks in a row and go after an increase in DVD for the 2005 negotiations. When that didn’t happen in 2005, the vote tallies were pretty much the same as they were this time.
Overall, the memberships of SAG and AFTRA voted 76.5 percent to 23.5 percent in favor of the new agreement. The vote count in Hollywood was 67.8 percent to 32.2 percent in favor. In New York, the vote count was 81.8 percent to 18.2 percent in favor. And in the regional branches and locals, the vote count was 87.3 percent to 12.7 percent.
Approximately 119,000 members of the unions received ballots, of which 30 percent returned them – a number that is historically consistent with previous referenda on union contracts. The final vote was certified this evening by Integrity Voting Systems.
So, do the current returns, almost identical to those of 2005, indicate a rejection of Membership First in the upcoming election? Well, all we can tell you is that after the 2005 referendum, Membership First presidential candidate Alan Rosenberg was elected and subsequently Membership First carried every Hollywood board seat but one.
So, much for the mindless rhetoric from USAN/UFS/AFTRA/AMPTP First sycophants.
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief 
Day Three after the Vote ‘Yes’ Campaign told you that if you Voted ‘Yes’ you'd get back to work. So, are YOU back to work yet 
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