SAG president wins reelection as talks loom
By Richard Verrier
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 21, 2007
Alan Rosenberg narrowly fended off a challenge from veteran actor Seymour Cassel to win a second term as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
The 56-year-old actor, whose credits include "The Guardian" and "L.A. Law" on TV, defeated Cassel and two other opponents, background actor Barry Simmonds and Charley M. De La Pena, who is active on the guild's disabilities committee.
Rosenberg garnered 47% of the vote to secure another two years as president of Hollywood's most powerful union, according to results released late Thursday night.
The vote ended an usually acrimonious contest between Rosenberg and Cassel, two onetime allies, reflecting a schism within the faction that swept control of the union two years ago on a platform to secure higher pay for actors.
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the hard work that I and the board have been doing for the last two years," Rosenberg said.
"We've got a lot on our plate, and hopefully we'll all move forward together."
Rosenberg's election comes in advance of pivotal contract negotiations with major Hollywood studios, which have already accelerated production of films and TV shows in anticipation of possible strikes by writers and actors.
Tensions have been running high amid disagreements over how talent should be paid for work distributed via the Internet and other new media.
The actors' contract expires June 30.
Rosenberg's supporters, who include Ed Asner, Meryl Streep and Tim Allen, credited him with leading the union through a turbulent two years and helping to improve relations between Hollywood and the union's regional branches.
Though Rosenberg was considered the favorite, Cassel mounted an unexpectedly strong challenge.
The 72-year-old union firebrand, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role in "Faces" in 1968, had enlisted the support of such stars as Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke, James Caan and Dennis Hopper.
A SAG member since 1959, Cassel was elected to its board in 2001.
He and his supporters touted his experience in the industry and his toughness, but critics portrayed him as being too volatile, citing a history of disruptive conduct as a board member.
In an interview Thursday night, Cassel said he was proud of his campaign. He garnered 44% of the vote.
"I didn't play any dirty pool," he said. "I wish him luck."
In his second term, Rosenberg confronts a widening dispute with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists that could complicate the upcoming talks.
Under a 1981 agreement, the unions split votes on contracts that they jointly negotiate, even though SAG covers most of the work. That has been a bone of contention with the leaders of SAG.
Another challenge will be to reestablish a franchise agreement with agents.
The previous agreement governing rules of conduct between agents and actors lapsed in 2002.
richard.verrier@latimes.com
Encumbent SAG President Alan Rosenberg wins in a real squeaker. Forty-seven percent to Forty-four percent. He won by seven hundred ten votes!
(SAG News Release)
ALAN ROSENBERG RE-ELECTED AS SCREEN ACTORS GUILD PRESIDENT; CONNIE STEVENS RE-ELECTED AS SECRETARY-TREASURER
Guild Also Announces Results of National Board Elections
Los Angeles (September 20, 2007)—Screen Actors Guild today announced results of elections for its top two elected positions. Alan Rosenberg will serve a second term as Screen Actors Guild President and Connie Stevens, who ran unopposed, will continue as secretary-treasurer. Both will serve two year terms beginning September 25.
Ballots were mailed to 102,001 paid-up SAG members on August 21, and 24,834 were tabulated today, for a return of 24.35 percent. Rosenberg received 11,631 votes, with Seymour Cassel coming in second with 10,921 votes, Barry Simmonds got 1,353 votes, and Charley M. De La Peña received 681 votes.
“I am honored by this vote of confidence from SAG members across the country in electing me for a second term as their president,” Rosenberg said. “Screen Actors Guild's elected leaders and professional staff will continue dedicating resources and working round-the-clock towards our number one priority: successful negotiations in 2008.”
“I am thrilled to have the support of my fellow members and to be serving a second term as Screen Actors Guild’s secretary-treasurer,” Stevens said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Alan, and to making the Guild even more fiscally strong, buying our own building, and preparing for next year’s critical contract negotiations.”
Screen Actors Guild also announced election results for the Guild’s national board of directors. Twenty-four of the 69 national board seats were open for election this year, representing Screen Actors Guild’s Hollywood, New York and Regional Branch Divisions. The vote tallies for each candidate are available at:
For branch results go to www.sag.org
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief 
Congratulations to ALL our candidates, not just the winners, for taking the time to get involved.
Posted: Thurs., Sep. 20, 2007, 9:21pm PT
SAG re-elects RosenbergGuild president takes second 2-year term
By DAVE MCNARY
SAG president Alan Rosenberg has been re-elected, topping three challengers for a second two-year term as head of the 120,000-member thesp union.
Rosenberg topped Seymour Cassel, who campaigned on a platform faulting Rosenberg for not being aggressive enough, background actor Barry Simmonds and disabled activist Charlie De La Pena.
Results, announced Thursday evening, represent an endorsement by SAG members of Rosenberg's pledge to focus on achieving an improved TV-film contract - specifically with gains in jurisdiction and new-media platforms. During the campaign, he stressed the need for a united front at the bargaining table at a time when revenues from digital technologies are soaring.
The SAG-AFTRA film-TV contract runs out next June 30 with negotiations not yet set. With many in Hollywood worried that SAG will go out on strike, Rosenberg's said that he's not pushing for a strike but has been quick to add that he's also not taking it off the table.
Both Cassel and Rosenberg are part of the Hollywood-based Membership First faction, which espouses a generally more confrontational role at negotiations. The group endorsed Rosenberg for the presidency.
Rosenberg, who's worked extensively in TV dramas, won his first term two years ago over Robert Conrad and Morgan Fairchild with 40% support. He campaigned on a platform asserting that SAG leaders hadn't fought hard enough at the 2005 contract negotiations for gains in such areas as DVD residuals.
Since then, he's spearheaded the selection of Doug Allen exec director and made major efforts reaching out to political opponents - a move that's prompted accusations from former allies that he's become too moderate - and strengthened ties with the WGA West.
Rosenberg's the husband of "CSI" star Marg Helgenberger. In winning a second term, Rosenberg's duplicated the feat of five of the last six SAG presidents -- Melissa Gilbert, Richard Masur, Barry Gordon, Patty Duke and Ed Asner - who all won at least two terms.
Rosenberg running mate Connie Stevens was unopposed in winning a second term as secretary-treasurer.
The results aren't expected to lead to a significant shift in the SAG board room, where Membership First has a narrow majority. Membership First candidates won all 10 national board seats, with Cassel garnering the most votes, followed by Valerie Harper, Frances Fisher, Esai Morales, Kent McCord, Nancy Sinatra, Bonnie Bartlett, Jenny Worman, Sumi Haru, Angela Watson and William Mapother.
Cassel, Harper, Fisher, Morales, McCord and Bartlett are incumbents.
Membership First candidates won 20 of the 22 alternate board seats, led by Karen Austin and followed by Peggy Miley, Scott Wilson, France Nuyen, Brett Cullen, Ron Harper, Jane Austin, F.J. O'Neil, Yale Summers, Anthony DeSantis, Paul Napier, Michael Bell, Steven Barr, David Jolliffe, Russell McConnell, Warren Berlinger, Terrence Beasor, Jeff Austin, Justin Shenkarow and Joe d'Angerio. Independents Peaches Johnson and Eugene Boggs won the other alternate seats.
SAG's boardroom moderates continued to control the seats representing New York and the regional branches. Sam Freed won the race as New York president to succeed Paul Christie, who's stepping down; Maureen Donnelly, Nancy Giles, Richard Masur, Sue-Anne Morrow and Mike Hodge won national board seats repping New York.
Masur's the only newcomer of the New York winners. He served as SAG president from 1995 to 1999, then lost to William Daniels for a third term.
Mark Blum led the winners of alternate New York board seats, followed by Manny Alfaro, Ralph Byers, Joe Narciso, Dave Bachman, Ron McClary, Doug Lory, Marc Baron and Kevin Scullin.
Races for the regional branches were unopposed. Winners included Steven Fried (Arizona), Todd Hissong (Chicago), Nancy Duerr (Florida), Debra Nelson (Georgia), Roy Costley (New Mexico), Tom Chantlier (San Francisco), Abby Dylan (Seattle) and Molly Ballard (Utah). Fried, Duerr, Nelson, Costley and Dylan are incumbents.
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Rosenberg
squeaks past Cassel for SAG presidency
By Carl DiOrio
Sept 21, 2007
Alan Rosenberg (Getty Images photo)
Alan Rosenberg has snatched a second two-year term as SAG president, with fellow character actor Seymour Cassel settling for a return to the guild's board after the incumbent bested his chief rival by a scant margin of 710 votes.
In vote results announced Thursday night, Rosenberg fetched 11,631 votes to Cassel's 10,921. Rosenberg garnered 47% support from among a total 24,834 ballots cast.
The battle for SAG president was largely a tussle between Rosenberg and Cassel, both associated with the guild's MembershipFirst faction in Hollywood. The candidates tangled less over policy or priorities than their personal styles and backgrounds.
In August, Rosenberg said Cassel should not have claimed that he was a "New York actor" in campaign literature sent to prospective SAG voters in the Big Apple.
"Seymour consistently and regularly has derided actors who live anywhere but in L.A.," Rosenberg told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. "So it was a little bit disingenuous of him."
Then there was the blogosphere battle over which of the two had the more volatile personality, with backers and critics of each rehashing stories of various political fracases over the years.
Both Rosenberg and Cassel have worked in film, TV and stage productions and boast substantial East Coast professional credits. Rosenberg is a native of Passaic, N.J., Cassel was born in Detroit, and both live in Los Angeles.
"I'm really gratified that the members have chosen to allow me to continue the work I'm doing on behalf of the guild (and) I promise to continue to fight like hell for them," Rosenberg told The Hollywood Reporter after the results were announced at about 9:30 p.m. "I also want to congratulate (the other candidates) for a hard-fought campaign, and I hope we can all work together on behalf of the members."
Rosenberg was informed of the results just as he prepared to board a flight to Washington, where he is scheduled to attend a meeting of the AFL-CIO executive council todayFriday. One item on the agenda is a request by AFTRA to affiliate directly with AFL-CIO, a move frowned upon by SAG officials.
In a related situation, both Rosenberg and Cassel said they support a recent move by the SAG national board to institute "bloc voting" on negotiating issues in the next round of film and TV talks. The concept is opposed by SAG's negotiating partner AFTRA as well as some New York-based SAG directors.
If employed during the 2008 negotiations, bloc voting would mean SAG members on the negotiating committee first voting among themselves and then registering unanimous votes in joint voting with AFTRA members of the committee. AFTRA claims that the practice would run counter to a long-standing agreement between the parties and throw their negotiating relationship into jeopardy.
Elsewhere among the candidates for SAG president, background actor Barry Simmonds (1,353 votes) pressed the priorities of film and TV extras in an e-mail-driven campaign. And Charley M. De La Pena (681 votes) primarily was identified with his efforts on behalf of disabled actors.
SAG's outgoing New York president, Paul Christie, who also is national 2nd vp of the guild, endorsed Rosenberg's re-election. Both of the top candidates also distributed materials touting endorsements from various well-known actors.
Two years ago, Rosenberg defeated Robert Conrad and Morgan Fairchild to win his first term as president. He ran as part of a MembershipFirst slate, which also endorsed Rosenberg's re-election as president as well as Cassel's retention to the national board.
Incumbent secretary-treasurer Connie Stevens, who endorsed Rosenberg, was re-elected without opposition.
In local board races, Cassel topped all Hollywood division candidates with 8,069 votes, assuring him a new three-year term on both the SAG national and local boards. Among others landing both national and Hollywood seats were Valerie Harper (7,592), Frances Fisher (6,990), Esai Morales (6,675), Kent McCord (6,410), Nancy Sinatra (6,246) and Bonnie Bartlett (5,841).
Sam Freed won the race for New York division president with 3,258 votes, gaining a two-year-term with 69% of 5,060 ballots.
Maureen Donnelly was the top vote-getter among New York board candidates with 3,447 candidates, followed by Nancy Giles (3,420) and Richard Masur (3,397). All were also be among those from the division getting national board seats.
SAG posted complete lists of the various races on SAG.org.
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ROSENBERG WINS.!! Official SAG election Results 
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