A Message to a couple of current Hollywood stars from a legend, and Ralph Morgan Award winner, Scott Wilson.
Mr. Wilson made his mark on the Hollywood scene with his riveting performance in what has now become a movie classic, “In Cold Blood.” He has gone on to distinguish himself as an actors, actor, but beyond that as a dedicated Screen Actors Guild member.
So, when Mr. Wilson speaks we should all listen! What follows is a letter he sent to the LA Times in response to a letter published from high profile actors George Clooney and Tom Hanks.
First Mr. Clooney and Mr. Hanks letter to the editor of the Times then Mr. Wilson’s response.
Letter to the Editor – Now the Spotlight is on the Actors
Feb. 15 – L.A. Times
Re "Strike's over, but viewers may be looking elsewhere," Feb. 13
Our unions -- the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists -- are a contentious bunch, you bet. On the other side of the 2008 labor divide are the studios and television networks owned by billion-dollar corporations, each in never-ending competition with the other.
With those realities duly noted, a new three-year contract is to be negotiated between the two. Talks between the actors and the producers should begin now. Why? It's obvious: Hollywood -- the industry and the town -- took a savage beating during the writers strike but is now heading back to work.
The actors are next up in the negotiation barrel. Some might think the agreements ratified by the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America are useful templates for the actors to follow. But the issues facing the actors are patently different, both of the bread-and-butter variety and the paradigm-shifting new-media realities that are affecting everyone in professional entertainment.
A strike by the actors is certainly a possibility this summer, but it is by no means inevitable. Talks between the producers and actors should begin as soon as possible so that those negotiations will produce the fair, progressive and responsible contract the actors deserve. Perhaps then our town -- and everyone in the business of show -- will be spared another work stoppage.
Tom Hanks
George Clooney
Los Angeles
Here is Mr. Wilson's response
For George Clooney and Tom Hanks to characterize the real issues between SAG and AFTRA with the remark that "Our unions...are a contentious bunch" shows that either they are ill-informed or that they accept AFTRA's raiding of SAG contracts by giving producers 10, 15, 20 and more play days a year, multiple plays a day, with zero residuals and therefore no contributions to the Pension and Health Plans.
Series regulars and guest actors on those shows consider losing residuals very much a bread and butter issue. I believe Tom and George would have thought the same thing at some point in their careers. So I assume they are unaware of AFTRA's egregious behavior.
As for the comments about "billion-dollar corporations [being] ...in never-ending competition with each other", consolidation has obliterated the difference between supplier, distributor and exhibitor and, perhaps there is a "never-ending competition" for the services and product of those talented and smart enough to have reached the position attained by Tom, George and a few others, but certainly those "billion-dollar corporations" unite to hold down the income of all the other talent e.g. the loss of a meaningful quote system.
Like Tom and George, I am sure everyone wants to be spared another work stoppage, however, I believe the best way to achieve this, with the best possibility of gains for the membership, would be to stop negotiating through ads and letters to the press. Lets give the long-established process of wages and working conditions the opportunity to arrive at our collective positions.
Fraternally,
Scott Wilson
A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief 
All formatting is SW’s!
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A Message to Hanks and Clooney from a Hollywood Legend!
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