*alert AFTRA NED Hedgpeth's email REFUSING to give member the vote tally results in the Network Code Referendum! !!

After reading in the press several times that 93% of those voting, voted in favor of the Network Code Agreement, being a rather curious sort, the Ol’ Dog, wondered, “93 % of What? A hundred,ah, 20 thousand?" Ah, like I said "93% of WHAT?"

As a Thirty plus year AFTRA Member, whose dues money helped pay for the cost of the referendum and others, I felt, at the very least, I was entitled to a vote Tally…or, ah, 93% of WHAT?

So, first I used the phone, ah, well, I was told that everyone with knowledge of the vote tallies, ah, was in a meeting. Now, you would think that the results of the membership voting in a referendum of contract would not be that difficult for a member of that union to get. Wrong! I called a couple times, even left my number…nothing.

So, then I sent the following email to an AFTRA Staff member that I was told would probably have that information.

What follows is my email and the response it produced from AFTRA NED Kim Hedgpeth!

Dear Ms. Weise, my name is Arlin Miller and I am an AFTRA member of over thirty years. More than a week ago, I called requesting information concerning the number of members who voted in the recent AFTRA Network Code referendum. I was told, by a lady named Britt, that she would inquire, and that someone would get back to me.

They never did!

I called again, today, and talked to Britt. Her only explanation of why neither my question was answered, nor phone call returned, was that AFTRA was currently involved in negotiations.

Now, I certainly appreciate the seriousness of these negotiations, but more certainly, there has to be someone available who can answer such a rudimentary question within a week’s time. The answer, which should have already been made available to the membership. After all, AFTRA certainly has ballyhooed in the press, and to the membership, that 93% of those voting favored the deal. It only follows that the membership should have access to the complete numbers of the referendum, so that they can put that 93% in its proper perspective.

Once again, I ask: How many members voted in the recent AFTRA Network Code referendum?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Many Thanks,

Arlin Miller
SAG/AFTRA Member

Subject: FW: from Arlin Miller
From: "Kim Roberts Hedgpeth"
Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 17:15:32 -0400
To:
CC: "Joan Halpern Weise"

Dear Mr. Miller,

I am writing in response to the request you made to several employees regarding the recent referendum of the AFTRA Network TV Code. None of the employees you contacted have access to the information sought.

It has been AFTRA's practice, as it is with other labor unions, not to report the number of members voting in contract and strike referenda, but only report the margin of "yes" or "no" votes among those who actually voted. As I understand the history of this practice, it is based on the viewpoint that it is ill-advised, and ultimately to the detriment of the membership, to disclose to management the participation rate on such referenda. Therefore, prudence requires the information be kept confidential and not circulated publicly where it might be leaked to employers. As I understand it, AFTRA has generally followed this practice for the same reasons that other unions have. The exceptions of which I am aware of involved contracts jointly negotiated with the SAG, where in some cases AFTRA had deferred to the SAG's practice of announcing the total numbers of votes returned in contract referenda as part of a joint process.

To my knowledge, we have not had a request of this kind prior to this particular referendum. In light of the policy questions it raises, staff will seek guidance from the elected member leadership. I will present your inquiry to the Board at their meeting next weekend, and communicate back to you as soon as is practical thereafter.

Thank you for your patience, and for your understanding that we have been involved in intense negotiations during the past several weeks.

Sincerely,

Kim Roberts Hedgpeth
National Executive Director
AFTRA
5757 Wilshire Blvd., 9th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036
LA Office: 323.634.8124
NY Office: 212.863.4214
--

There you go: If you are an AFTRA member, your NED has just informed you that giving out the complete vote tallies would be detrimental because management might find out the participation on such a referendum. Come to think of it that’s basically the same train of thought that was used when members where denied the right to see AFTRA's Basic cable contracts that they might be auditioning for, and, or, working under.

So, as of now, we know that 93 % percent of those voting approved the deal, we just don’t know 93% of WHAT? As to the actual final tally, you’ve, well, gosh, just got understand that, that is something we shouldn't bother our silly little actor heads over.

You get the feeling that AFTRA is turning into a Star Chamber…ah, better make that a Starless Chamber.

So, in the meantime, ever opportunity AFTRA gets to ballyhoo that 93% approval rate of their Network Code Sellout “of consent on clips” to the AMPTP, they will use it. But, but, does using a little "93% deception" to imply that AFTRA’s full membership overwhelmingly rafified it, benefit the membership, or does it benefit those at the AMPTP and AFTRA, who bartered it, and are now trying to convince the world of its merits?

AFTRA, they didn’t let members vote on their

500,000 dollar sellout to the ATA, or on their two dues increases. They had to be forced by the feds to rerun a faulty election. They won’t put their basic cable low-ball contracts on their website, and it’s like pulling teeth to get them to show you one at 5757 Wilshire.

Hell, they won’t even let you see the complete results of a referendum because it would be detrimental to the union. (Strangely enough SAG and the WGA have survived, even though they release that information to the membership. On, the other hand, I understand the DGA doesn’t. Boy there is a shocker!)

But, get use to it, folks; It won’t be long before AFTRA will have all the cable shows,(They have all the half-hour basic cable shows but one now, while they only had one, just a couple of years ago.) and most of the Primetime shows-- and they will be your main union for TV, unless actors stand up and say NO. (Just last year, they only had 3 Primetime shows, NOW THEY HAVE TEN.)

But then that’s not your fault…is it? You have shown your current SAG leadership support, Right? You’ve told them how you feel about AFTRA's undercutting SAG contracts, by giving away your residuals, right? And, God knows, you haven’t been whining about how we can’t even think about a strike, no matter how bad the deal, right? Naw, not you!

So, today, we can’t see the complete results of the AFTRA contract referendum, tomorrow; we won’t be able to vote on one. Hey, we wouldn’t want employers to know how we felt about any such agreement; it might be detrimental to AFTRA--and those who run it from their Starless Chamber.

Oh, by the way, perhaps a hint of why AFTRA's leadership doesn't want this info out, is because in the recent AFTRA election, the top, actor local board candidate, James Cromwell, recieved only 2,106 votes