* AFTRA Board Reverses itself and calls for referendum. * AFTRA’s ' leadership say’s “Up Yours” to both its membership and their constitution !!

Apparently, those who control things at AFTRA realized that they violated their own constitution, as the Ol’ Dog reported below, and COULD BE IN A LOT OF TROUBEL WITH THE FEDS…so they have reversed themselves and decided to send the Interactive contract out to the affected members of AFTRA in a referendum.

As the Ol’ Dog heard it, apparently after the AFTRA board violated the constitution by ratifying the Intreractive contract without following the dictates of Article X1V, they suddenly reversed themselves, upon a request for a revote by Susan “Actors make too much money” Boyd, and it was then voted to send it out in referendum…oh, by the way, she was the only one to vote for it at the caucus the other night.

Despite the recommendation from the actors that work the contract to vote NO on the contract, The board will recommend YES. This is obviously plan 'B.' Plan 'A' to get their vote in caucuses around the country didn't go that way, so they ditched it and hope to dupe members who have not heard both sides to vote their way.

Now, do you think they will allow a Minority Report, so that actors around the country know what is at stake!

You have the ultimate power actors! USE IT! The following is the Ol’ Dog’s original report.

AFTRA’s employer compliant leadership say’s “Up Yours” to both their own AFTRA members and to the AFTRA Constitution when they ratify the producer dictated Interactive agreement.

The AFTRA Hollywood membership that works over ninety percent of the Interactive union work, made it clear at the caucus the other night that they did not want this staff-bargained agreement when they voted against it SEVENTY-FIVE TO ONE. This however did not stop the AFTRA board from voting to ratify the contract despite the clear message from those AFTRA members that work the contract that it was unexceptable…

AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT IN RAFITYING THE CONTRACT WITHOUT EITHER A REFERENDUM-OR A MAJORITY VOTE IN LOCALS AROUND THE COUNTRY, THEY VIOLATED THEIR OWN CONSTITUTION.

Article X!V: RATIFICATION OF ALL OTHER NATIONAL COLLECTIVE BARGAININAGREEMENTS, CONTRACTS OR CODES(Other than the Phase One agreements)

All other National Collective Bargaining Agreements, Contracts or Codes negotiated by the Union shall be submitted to the membership affected thereby for ratification either by (1) a majority vote of those of the members who vote thereon in a mail referendum ordered by the National Board under rules and regulations prescribed by it, or (2) by a majority vote for the members of each of the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington Locals and any other Local included in the said Agreements, Contracts or Code who vote thereon at any meeting called for that purpose as designated by the national Board. In the event that any Local fails to concur in such order, the votes cast in all locals shall be totaled and if a majority of the votes cast concur, the said Contract, Agreement or Code shall be deemed ratified.

It is apparent to the Ol' Dog that AFTRA has become a totally morally corrupt union, where the leaderships only interest is self-serving for both the Staff and their compliant board members.

If ever a union's leadership needed to be investigated by the Department of Labor, this is it.

AFTRA Head negotiator and Assistant NED Mathis Dunn has a lot of explaining to do, as does NED Kim Hedgpeth along with AFTRA President Roberta Reardon; all need to be drug into the DOL where their Constitution is filed and explain what is going on.

There were reportedly four caucuses held for the membership to have their voices heard; As we have told you at the Hollywood caucus the vote by the members who do most of this work, the vote was 75-1 against the accepting the agreement. In New York, apparently about 5 or six members turned up for the caucus, and no vote was taken, as to other locals, the leadership was not talking.

So, the majority vote at all the locals was 75-1 against, therefore under the dictates of AFTRA Constitutional article (X1V) it was rejected by the membership and should not have been ratified.

By, those that now trample over actors residuals and constitutional rights no longer have any regard for anyone’s agenda but their own, well, except for those of employers with whom they hope to ingratiate themselves.

If our seventy five actors who most affected by this injustice to both their bank accounts and integrity would like to fight back, I would suggest they show up bright and early at Mathis Dunn’s office bright and early Monday Morning and ask for an explanation—and if it isn’t satisfactory then contact the Department of Labor in mass, and demand not only a constitutional accounting, but petition them for “elections” so that you the ones that do the work, can decide who you want to represent you on these contracts AFTRA or SAG.

Does anyone doubt what the outcome would be…exactly what it was back in the Early Fifties when actors overwhelmingly chose SAG.

IT IS TIME TO GET AFTRA OUT OF THE SCREWING ACTORS BUSINESS.