Just some of what the SAG National Board of Directors is doing for you
A position on the National Board is not a prize, a reward or something to inflate an ego. The Guild is not a club or a social group. It is not the conservatory or any single or group of services and events hosted by the branch. The Guild is a union.
Wages, working conditions, health, safety, the protection of talent and services to help talent in a wide range of ways. There is room for everyone on committees, local councils, national committees, work groups and task forces. There is room to participate and contribute without holding formal office or job title.
The position of National Board Director is a fiduciary position, responsible for the financial well being and protection of the union and the membership. It is a legal position in a California non-profit corporation with international reach. Oversight, direction and informed policy are developed and administered by the board.
Members of the board cannot directly provide jobs, services or income for the membership.
Being on the board takes time from family, employment opportunities, career and home.
But it is worth it if you are driven by the need to serve others.
I serve because I care and I believe in Nevada talent, in the Screen Actors Guild and in unions.
There is not a meeting I attend where the needs of the Nevada membership are not put front and center.
I serve, without pay or compensation, because I can put my full professional and personal experience to work for you, the membership, and not only keep Nevada strong, but help to build a solid future for the Nevada Branch and all Nevada talent.
What is accomplished is the work of many individuals, working together, and the staff who works for the membership, based on trust, relationships, needs and shared vision.
There have been rough waters, with political infighting, widely differing visions and plans, and conflict reported and inflated in the media. As a vet of an almost three day continuous meeting, of caucus and committees, task forces and individual projects, I have earned my place in leadership and my voice is heard, for Nevada and the membership.
I became involved in the Guild, not for ego or the perception of power, or because I felt I was entitled. I was drafted to serve the membership. I became involved because I was asked to join the council and later to run, unopposed, for vice president. The president resigned, so by Nevada local rules I became Branch President. I joined the board of directors when our national board member landed a great acting position has stepped down from the board. I have served since, at the will of the membership. It is my hope that in this election the members will choose to return experience at this time of rapid change.
My dad was a unionist, as was my grandfather and great grandfather. When he passed away there were hundreds of people my mom and I had never met at his funeral. They were his union brothers and sisters.
My family and its belief in organized labor and the need for unions goes back several generations to the Haymarket Square riots in Chicago.
I know it may not be popular, but I do believe that without strong unions we would not earn the pay, benefits and protections unions provide.
For that reason I am active in the process of working on the structure and strength of a potential new union, while continuing the business of the Guild in keeping SAG strong as the world's most recognized and highest profile performers union. As an actor and performer I am and always have been proud to be a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
SAG and AFTRA are working together with the help of the AFL-CIO and others toward crafting a new union that will unify the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. A plan will be presented to both boards of directors in January, with a vote of the membership next spring.
The unanimous view of both national presidents and both boards of directors is that merger is needed, given rapid changes within the industry and the potential of increased competition between the unions, which would not benefit the membership and stability of either union in the long run.
The Screen Actors Guild is active in the battle against an aggressive spread of right-to-work legislation in traditional union security states and the overall erosion of union security, as illustrated by recent events in Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan. Living and working in a Right-to-Work state Nevada members see firsthand how these laws allow those who are not union to work under out contracts. It is a battle for union jobs and the ability of unions to exist.
While Nevada membership fights for film incentives and the regulation of talent agencies and casting companies, there has been strong erosion in other states. The Screen Actors Guild National Legislative effort is working for members in every branch to strengthen film incentives and provide protection for members in the areas of talent agents, casting and employment.
An on-line production center has been launched and will expand. This center simplifies the process for producers to become signatory, starting with ultra low and low budget production, while making it easier for potential signatories to understand and work with the Guild. It does not take away the freedom to interact with local executives. Nevada has already benefited from at least one signatory production that used this on line process, with others in the works.
The end of talent paying fees to those who potentiallyemploy us is a priority for the Guild. Each state has different laws and guidelines, however the industry standard is set in California. In California great progress has been made in eliminating and minimizing the fees background and all talent pay for talent listing and the promise of work. State and local regulations for Nevada are being reviewed and will be at the forefront as the “industry standard” stretches out into other states.
The Guild has made progress, in partnership with producers and others, to safeguard your intellectual property, which is to say your image and talents. File sharing, piracy and rights of ownership are at the forefront of national and international efforts for legislation and enforcement.
Progress is also underway to expand insurance coverage to include not only those who are vested in the union, but everyone who pays dues to the Screen Actors Guild. It is too early in the process for details, however some form of insurance will be available soon. And of course, once vested in the union, SAG remains the envy of other unions in the strength and benefits of our pension, health and retirement coverage.
Communication remains a personal priority, as budget restrictions limits traditional print and in person meetings. Both print and in person will remain, however changes will continue to be made to assure the union remains strong in contract negotiation and enforcement, and the overall protection of all talent in the workplace.
Screen Actor Magazine and a local newsletter will remain, with the potential of fewer traditional paper issues. However the use of the website and linked sites has increased and is constantly being improved. A Young Performers web presence now includes material that can be used by the performers themselves as well as parents and producers. As mentioned above, a Production Center assists producers in the signatory process. SAG TV has expanded as a resource with video of events, issues of interests to performers and on various questions frequently asked of the Guild. A link to the successful SAG Foundation LifeRaft series can be found on the site. Check out www.sag.org.
To assist in communication with membership there has been progress toward returning to the policy where branch presidents can have access to the list of local membership.
Contracts, enforcement, adjustments, planning for the future, adjusting to changes in the industry, getting members paid, organizing and expanding work and providing services and benefits are the joint responsibility of elected and volunteer members and a trained professional staff. Economics have dictated that you, as members, are needed to step forward now more than ever, to help shape the future of your Guild.
Much of what the board deals with is ongoing and therefore confidential. Work is done at board meetings, in caucus, between meetings as individuals and on many committees, task forces, sub-committees and work groups. I remain active in many of these, and have gotten as many Nevada members directly involved as possible, We are the most active of any small branches and one of the most nationally active of any branch of this union.
Please send any questions or comments to my attention through the SAG office @ steven.clinton@sag.org.
Solidarity;
Art Lynch
SAG National Board Director
Nevada
