May 2009

And guess how many producer deals Tom has in development! And Rob Schneider speaks up and a new article from Variety. All you got to do is click.
SAG YouTube Page DeBUNKolated

Here is the new Tom Hanks “Vote Yes” Video, we ran the “Photo Still” through the Ol’ DeBUNKolator. It spit it out with all you need to know about why Tom is voting yes.

Here’s Tom’s video:

[youtube id=”JU7Lw9rkp1w”]

Stop it Tom you’re killing us with facts. The irony here, is that back when Tom was pushing us into early negotiations, he noted in a letter to the editor of the LA Times that “the issues facing actors are pattenly different” than those facing directors and writers.

Now he’s telling us to vote for the same deal they got…even though according to him our needs are different. So, Tom which is it? My favorite line in the video is when Tom calls this deal with all of its rollbacks ‘Not Perfect.’ That would’ve been like trying to convince some girl to go on a blind date with the Elephant Man. “No, Dearie, he ain’t what you’d call handsome, but he has a lovely carriage.”

Now here’s former SAG President Ed Asner on KTLA where he takes Sally, Tom, George, Alex and others to task. This link will take you to the KTLA webpage scroll down to the small icon that says “Sam Rubin sits down with legendary actor Ed Asner” and click. (Sorry Asner video no longer on KTLA website)

http://www.ktla.com/video/?clipId=3813720

Rob Schneider jumps in on the subject.

[youtube id=”bwluMUKLXdo”]

This one is worth seeing to. It’s from the same guy who brought you “The Elephant in the Room.

[youtube id=”S4Nj-txvwIo”]

A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief

Here are Tom Hanks’ producer credits.

—]
Heavy hitters favor SAG deal

Baldwin, Clooney, Field among supporters

By DAVE MCNARY

The heavy hitters have come out in favor of ratifying SAG’s deal — including Alec Baldwin, George Clooney, Sally Field and Tom Hanks.

Just cause they’re non-strikers don’t make them ‘heavy hitters.”

The stars are part of over 500 SAG members who have endorsed ratification of the Screen Actors Guild’s feature-primetime contract as backers of the deal amped up their campaign.

“I voted yes because I think it is a smart contract for these hard economic times,” Hanks said in a video posted Friday on the SAG web site. “To have no contract for the past year has hurt actors and this new contract repairs much of that damage.”

Tom doesn’t bother to mention that in these ‘hard economic times’ box office is at an all time high, nor does he explain how signing a bad deal that will be with us for decades is going to repair much damage.

SAG announced the endorsements early Friday evening in a “message of solidarity” to members to support the two-year deal. The pact had been under relentless attack by hardline opponents, led by SAG president Alan Rosenberg, for falling short in new-media pay and jurisdiction.

Opponents of the deal have previously criticized high-profiles such as Baldwin, Clooney, Field and Hanks on a number of occasions over the past year, dating back to the stars endorsing AFTRA’s primetime deal last summer and opposing a strike authorization vote last winter.

Ballots went out to 110,000 SAG members on May 19 and are due back June 9. Those opposed to the deal have contended that voting it down will force companies to sweeten terms, although the congloms have said they will not do so.

Backers also include SAG president Melissa Gilbert, SAG 2nd VP Sam Freed, SAG 3rd VP David Hartley Margolin along with Ed Begley Jr., Jane Curtin, Mike Farrell, Patricia Heaton, Kathy Joosten, Rob Lowe, Ian McShane and Sam Waterston.

You know it’s a good deal when a union hater like Kathy Joosten likes it. She has gone on record comparing having to belong to SAG to having a colonoscopy, and said publicly that she was planning on going fi-core and tell others to do the same. And there’s Melissa Gilbert who accused those who disagreed with her as ‘Embedded Union Busters,’ Mike Farrell, he used the SAG Actor Magazine to label those who disagreed with him as creations and misanthropes. As for 3rd VP David Hartley Margolin, you can understand him backing the TV/Theatrical contract, he has nothing to lose since he has never worked it.

The campaign in favor of the deal has noted that members have been working under terms and conditions of a film-TV contract that expired last June 30, when the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers made their final offer. They’ve noted that SAG members have lost out on an estimated $85 million in salary gains as a result of not having a new deal.

What they don’t note is any documentation to back their $85 million dollar claim. And what they really don’t note is that by giving them complete unfettered access to libraries of pre 1974 TV and 1971 features, our members and their families will lose a lot more than $85 million dollars–by not receiving residuals on the $ Billons of dollars that studios will make off of their efforts in the decades to come.

“The agreement provides important gains for members across the country, including a 6.5% increase in wages, additional union jobs for background actors in television programs and motion pictures, increases in major role performer payments, first time ever payments for programs streamed on the Internet and many other protections and provisions for new media,” the statement said. “It’s time to put our industry back to work.”

Don’t you just love those PR pearls? How is signing a pathetic deal going to put us back to work when the real reason for the production slowdown is not our stalemate with the AMPTP, but, rather, the fact that banks are not making loans, foreign distributors are not coming up with ‘prepay’ money to help finance films, and of course, producers are going out of country to save money. But, go ahead and sign on to this deal, and when you are still sitting there waiting for an upturn in production, and depending on residuals, think how thrilled you’ll be when that $782 dollar network residual your expecting turns out to be a check for $23 dollars

Rosenberg remains convinced that the deal appears headed for defeat, contending that the reaction in calls and emails has been very supportive. He’s asserted that if the AMPTP won’t improve the terms,

SAG leaders should ask for a strike authorization — which requires a 75% approval by those members voting.

Deal proponents — including Arkin and interim national exec director David White — have predicted that the measure will pass easily. Rob Schneider, Ed Harris and William Petersen have come out against the deal this week, joining Martin Sheen, Elliott Gould and John Heard.

SAG’s national board approved the two-year tentative deal, which mostly mirrors the latest WGA, DGA and AFTRA contracts, on April 19 with only 53% of the board supporting the agreement.

Once again, it should be noted that the overwhelming majority of the Hollywood board voted against accepting this ‘deal’–while the overwhelming majority of those board members from New York and the branches whvoting for it–only do 25 percent of the work.

Opponents have contended SAG can’t accept the new-media terms while such sites as Hulu gain popularity. Proponents of the deal have contended that the opponents are exaggerating how much money’s being made through video streaming.

According to Business week, Hulu is expected is expected to make $120 million dollars this year; that’s up from $80 million from last year.

Here’s what a ‘Photo still’ on the Vote “Yes” video looks like.

Oh, and do you think they would be sneaky enough to purposely have included former President Bill Daniels photo in the video to trick members into thinking he is in favor of this contract. Naw!

Now here is how the ‘photo still’ looked after we ran it through our DeBUNKolator.

Now let’s see what the ‘Yes’ supporters have to say on the SAG video running on YouTube.

SAGCommunications

Well, I ran the video through the DeBUNKolator, and I got this message.

“TELL SAG MEMBERS TO CHECK THE MINORITY REPORT FOR ALL THE FACTS.”

You check it I already have.

Oh, by the way, regardless what the vote “Yes” people say say about all the Vote NO information being lies. Well, hello it appears in the Minority report–and everything in it has been vetted by SAG Legal to make sure it is factual.

A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief

Just when you thought AFTRA’s “go-along-to-get-along” leadership couldn’t sink any lower, they have come up with a waiver in which the actor gets NOTHING!

You’ll find the update below, following the orginal story.

Here’s what happened: The actor goes to the audition for an AFTRA PSA commercial, and gets the part. The actor knows that SAG/AFTRA Public Service spots generally don’t pay residuals and that’s okay, but then when the actor shows up on the set, the actor is asked to sign the following waiver.

One of AFTRA’s leaders, currently an incumbent candidate on the AFTRA Leadership Team slate basically said “Actors make too much” well her and her “go-along-to-get-along” pals have got too love this one.

Yes, SAG also has a waiver for public service spots but it specifically states that the session fee can’t be waived and there is nothing in it about SAG taking the fee for the charity of its choice.

I mean, how about the part where the actor waives the session fee to AFTRA’s leaders, who then decide which “charity” gets their money.

Hell, they wont show us their contracts, or the results of referendumswhat do you want to bet that they won’t tell members where THEIR SESSION FEE MONEY IS GOING?

And the truly scary thing for SAG members is that the very USAN/UFS board members, who are now running SAG, are the same group of members that put AFTRA FIRST whenever it comes to any dispute between the two unions.

A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief

Caught with their pants down, the AFTRA Leadership on their ‘WORK FOR NOTHING’ waiver, has gone to ‘their kind of website,’ one run by a bunch of cowering cowards, who post anonymously, refusing to reveal their identity, with what can only be described as a “Don’t believe your lying eyes” defense.

You remember they used the same defense when they were accused of undercutting SAG cable contracts by giving away residuals. It was only after we posted those contracts that they said with straight faces “See we didn’t giveaway residualsyour initial minimum compensation covered them”

According to the Drizzlers at the Baghead website,” One AFTRA official called the website posting “spin,” noting that the production company may have violated the terms of the waiver:”

This begs the question of why the Ad Council or the production company would devise a waiver that would be of no benefit to them–as the actors money didn’t go to them, but, rather, was to be given to AFTRA to give to the charity of its choice. Hmmm.

Hey, I’m sure AFTRA will launch an investigation! Right? Right, and GM will be issuing stock dividends, soon.

AFTRA staff claims that their policy is the same as SAG’s. Well, here is SAG’s policy, and it does not include actors giving up minimums so the production company can give it to the union to use for an, ah, “Charity,” of IT’S choice.

And as we have seen in the past, the contracts may be the same but, ah, the waivers can be different. If you are an employer and you want it, AFTRA’s Leaders will give it to you.

If you look at the actual quotes attributed to AFTRA Officials you’ll note that they do not actually deny that the waiver is theirs.

No denial there.

Or there

Or there.

Or there.

You’ll notice they said, this is not an AFTRA Contract. They did not say “This is not an AFTRA Waiver.”

What they are doing is a form of deception called “lying by omission.” But then that is their standard MO.

Also “Leave it to Beavers” Lumpy and Eddie Haskell have their own video on why you should vote NO

First here is Mr. Harris.
[youtube id=”n_pyw4eBfeY”]

Now two of my favorites from “Leave it to Beaver”” Lumpy and Eddie Haskell.

http://www.youtube.com/shokus79

We’ll the Baghead’s at, the anonymously run website, “SAG Watch” (One the Rhine) have stated the Ol’ Dog is the mouthpiece for Membership First.

Of course, I am the spokesman for no one but myself. But then, I would rather be a spokesperson for a group that is against allowing signatories to do non-union work and giving up residuals on the Internet than what they are–sycophants for the AMPTP.

But then no one knows who they are, except that they are cowering cowards who attack others under the cloak of anonymity. Are they on the payroll of AFTRA or the AMPTP? Who knows since they refuse to identify themselves!

A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief

In a move that can only be described as the most egregious in SAG History, the current controlling USAN/UFS New York and the Branches board majority has used members dues money, and membership list, to send out an email that for all practical purposes has labeled our SAG President Alan Rosenberg, First Vice President Anne-Marie Johnson and Treasurer Connie Stevens and the overwhelming majority of the Hollywood Board as SAG traitors.

Here is what the shameful, attack ‘Vote Yes’ email said:

Inherit in this accusation is that, SAG Members like Martin Sheen, “Ralph Morgan Award” Winners Kent McCord and Scott Wilson, former SAG president Ed Asner, and hundreds of other loyal members are traitors to the Screen Actors Guild.

Yes, just because SAG members have taken it upon themselves to speak out against the current TV/Theatrical ‘deal,’ the controlling board majority, (mostly made up of New York and Branch USAN board members–along with a handful of UFS board members) have taken it upon themselves to use SAG money dues money, and email list, to officially accuse such loyal SAG members as Tony Danza, Tom Bower, John Heard, Kevin Dobson, Terry Moore, Billy Mumy, Clancy Brown–and anyone else who opposes this contract, of giveaways, as SAG traitors trying to bring down the union.

Who are those behind this official SAG email? They are New York’s USAN and Branches majority along with the Unite for Strength board members.

Remember these faces, they are the ones that pulled the coup of our union, replacing a fairly proportioned negotiating team, that was formed under the Constitutional rules of procedure, and replaced it with a disproportionately formulated “Task Force” to give a dominate say in negotiations to New York and the Branches—even though they only do twenty-five percent of the TV.Theatrical work.

They are the faces of SAG board members who fired former NED Doug Allen to stop him from sending out a strike authorization so that members would have a voice in their negotiations.

And these are the faces of just some of the USAN/UFS board members that are using SAG resources to smear anyone including YOU if you get in the way of their AMPTP friendly ‘deal.”

They were, of course, aided by the board majority made up of New York and Branches, USAN board members and UFS Hollywood board members; All share responsibility in this Divisive, repulsive act. But then, why should we be surprised, after all, many are the same members who supported Melissa Gilbert when she labeled those who disagreed with her and her gang, as “Embedded Union Busters,” The same gang that stood behind board member Mike Farrell when he used the SAG Actor magazine to call his SAG opponents “creations” and “misanthropes.”

Every SAG board member involved in this unsavory business should be brought up on “Charges Unbecoming a Member.” Hey, if using membership dues money to charge 47 percent of our SAG board and hundreds of members with trying to bring down the Screen Actors Guild is not conduct unbecoming a member–NOTHING IS!

Also, there are rumbles of a lawsuit to be brought against those board members responsible for this egregious act of defaming so many of our SAG members. Oh, and if they think they are, necessarily, indemnified by SAG, and that they are free of liability, perhaps they should read the Labor Disclosure Act of 1959. Title V, (Judiciary Responsibility;

Of course, they’ll try to wiggle out of this by saying, but, but we only said “some of the members” are trying to bring the union down–THEN THEY SHOULD IDENTIFY WHO THOSE MEMBERS ARE!

Otherwise, it is clear they used the word “some” as a bogus ‘qualifier’ in order to smear every SAG member, who dared to disagree with them, using the same brush.

That they sent out this vicious email at this stage of the game, several days after the ballots have been sent out, is obviously an act of desperation on their part.

You see, it is no secret, among those in the know that SAG National Executive Directors can track voting on referendums; CEO Bob Pisano did it all the time. This attack email is just one sign that they are beginning to sweat it.

Oh, did we mention that they now have Robo-Calls going out with Adam Arkin and Amy Brennerman telling members to vote for this contract. Perfect, most of these people are well suited to be Telemarketers.

A.L. Miller SW Editor & Chief

In light of the current, perverted ‘Vote YES’ email from the Current USAN/UFS leadership, this quote credited to Melisa Gilbert has got to be the funniest quote of the week: