I gotta tell you when I read the following press release from the Screen Actors Guild, I just scratched my head and said, “Huh?”
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Los Angeles, CA (July 25, 2009)
The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors today…Opposed by a vote of 51.74 percent to 48.26 percent the closure of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Long Term Care Facility.
The Board received presentations from representatives of the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) and the Resident-family coalition “Saving the Lives of Our Own.”
After thorough discussion of both sides of the issue, the Board voted 51.74 percent to 48.26 percent to publicly oppose the closing of the MPTF’s Long Term Care facility.
For the most part the vote went strictly down divisional lines, the New York and branch USAN board members with a little help from their UFS Hollywood counter parts voted NOT to oppose the closing
“I think the extremely close vote is evidence of the difficult decision we wrestled with today,” said Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg.
I think SAG President Rosenberg is being extremely generous under the circumstances; I would say that the extremely close vote is evidence that our union’s fly-over and New York leadership only cares about their own selfish agenda and does not give a damn about Hollywood actors, nor does it think of them as part of their own.
“The MPTF’s significant financial and operational concerns were absolutely heard, but after hearing the presentations from both sides of the issue, our board voted to oppose the closing and did so to try and preserve the legacy of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Long Term Care historic commitment, in honor of the screen actors who founded it – Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin,” Rosenberg added.
The full text of the motion follows:
It was moved and seconded to approve that the SAG National Board publicly state the Guild’s opposition to the closing of the Motion Picture and Television Fund Long Term Care Facility.
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The reason I shook my head after reading this article is that who would have thought any true actor would NOT be opposed to the closing of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Long Term Care facility. I mean, it’s not like it’s costing SAG money to offer moral support.
But as USAN's New York and the branches board members have shown time and time again whether voting on a contract, or something like this their commitment is a tad narrower than “Taking Care of Our Own” more like “Taking Care of Ourselves!”
Why would New York and the branches vote unanimously, basically, for the closing of the long term care facility. Well, for one thing, like I said they hate Hollywood. It is a hate born out of both envy and desperation. They don’t put the guild first, they put themselves first. It is apparent in their political campaigns. This from one of their 2005 campaign fliers.
When asked why they would not support keeping the hospital open, their excuse was “WE DON’T WANT TO GET INVOLVED.” Sort of like passerby’s who walk right past someone dying on the sidewalk without offering any sort of help. Ah, they don’t want to get involved.
Now, it should be noted that all three of our presidential candidates along with every Membership First Board member voted to oppose the closing, along with UFS’s Marcia Wallace.
However it should also be noted that when it came to voting to standup for their own at the Hollywood Long Term Care facility at least two UFS board members, Ned Vaughn and Gabrielle Carteris, in essence “walked on by,” turning away from their own, by abstaining.
Look, if these board members will not stand up for our sick, do you think they'll stand up for you, in any instance, whether standing up against another union, on your behalf, or standing up to our employers.
This debate, on opposing the closing of the MPTF long term facility, was one between management who favored closing it, and actors and other industry workers who are fighting to keep it open. As is usual, New York and Branch USAN board members, who currently control SAG, voted WITH MANAGEMENT. And on such an anti Hollywood, anti SAG vote, they got the cooperation of a couple of UFS board members.
They have no problem NOT opposing the closing of a facility that benefits actors and other industry workers, but once again they showed they have A BIG PROBLEM OPPOSING MANAGEMENT !!
If you want to know more about this story, there are a couple of excellent articles on The Wrap website.
http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/1607
http://www.thewrap.com
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief
There is a new slate running in New York for the SAG board against those USAN board members who didn’t want to get involved in helping our own; here is their press release.
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NY ACTORS ANNOUNCE GUILD BOARD ELECTION SLATE:
Solidarity And Gains NOW!
A new exciting slate of New York actors, running as independent candidates for seats on the Screen Actors Guild National Board, has just been announced.
The slate is called Solidarity And Gains NOW! and is also known as SAGNOW!.
This dynamic team of NEW YORK actors is:
2009 Academy Award Nominee for Best Actress- Melissa Leo; famed character actor Tony Lo Bianco; David Rasche; Celia Weston; Mitchell Green (running for New York Board and NY Division president);star of television and stage - Matt Mulhern; and Erik-Anders Nilsson.
NY CANDIDATE QUOTES:
“I am confident we can unite in our effort to secure the actors’ fair participation in new media revenues. That’s why I chose now to run for a SAG board seat.”
-Celia Weston
“Only by uniting can we save our livelihoods. Then we can turn our full attention to New Media which is Now Media.”
-Mitchell Green
“I am seeking a position on the SAG board after being a member for over 20 years. Unity through collaboration is what makes great things possible.”
-Melissa Leo
"I'm a passionate advocate for the rights of actors and I would be honored by your support. Thank you."
-Matt Mulhern
“To vote knowledgeably on the new, live-or-die contract in 2011, you need to know what will it mean to you in terms of dollars. Let’s end senseless New York/Hollywood conflicts. That’s why I have chosen to run.”
-David Rasche
“It’s an honor to run with such talented, knowledgeable and diverse team of respected actors. Now is the time for SAG to unite, working towards a healthier and stronger contract in 2011.”
-Erik-Anders Nilsson
"I feel compelled to run for the National Board to preserve our gains, fight for improvement, look to the future and negotiate for what's yet to come from a position of common sense and strength. I would work to bring together our membership and heal divisions in our sister unions that so many of us are members of."
-Tony Lo Bianco
Ballots will be mailed to New York members on August 25th, with results known September 24th, 2009.
For more media contact information, please email us:
SAGNOW2009@yahoo.com
NO SAG FUNDS WERE USED AT ALL FOR THIS COMMUNICATION
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I have been told by several sources that the vote to not oppose the closing of the long term care facility, was unanimous among New York and the branches. If you would like to know the names of those on those boards check out the following post
http://sagwatchdog.com/cgi-bin/admin_config.pl/read/959
If any of those named were being replaced by an alternate, and did not vote with management, let me know and I will take your name off the list.
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