Friday, August 20, 2010

SAG Feels its Own Labor Pains

Labor unrest is hitting SAG close to home.

Negotiations between the actors guild and Teamsters Local 986, which represents more than 40 of SAG's Los Angeles-based business representatives, have gotten bumpy. The contract between the parties expired June 1, and one issue still to be resolved is what wage increases the new deal will grant.

Yes, even unions have unions. In this negotiation, SAG functions as management, not labor. After about a dozen meetings, the two sides are far apart, with the key sticking issues being wages and a SAG proposal to require the employees to arbitrate discrimination and sexual harassment claims rather than file them in court.

For more details, see my piece in The Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i7ac2488e5367c3860b8b6e94dda149c5.

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Ratification of Teamsters / Basic Crafts Contract Complete

The Teamsters ratified their contract several weeks ago. However, four other basic crafts (plumbers, plasterers, electricians and laborers) negotiate alongside the Teamsters. Ratification by those unions was expected and, indeed, the AMPTP said today that the last of those just ratified their contract. Here's the organization's press statement:

"The five Basic Crafts Unions have now ratified new contracts with the producers represented by the AMPTP, ensuring that production can continue without interruption for the studios and union members.  The two sides reached a fair deal with gains in wages, benefits and other terms for the unions while recognizing the current economic realities of the industry.  This would not have been possible without hard work and commitment of the leadership of each of the Basic Crafts Unions, whose negotiating committee was chaired by Local 399 Secretary-Treasurer Leo T. Reed.  The five Basic Crafts Unions are International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local No. 40,  Plumbers, Local No. 78, Teamsters, Local No. 399, Studio Utility Employees, Local No. 724, and Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons, Local No. 755."

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Subscribe to my blog (jhandel.com) for more about entertainment law and digital media law. Go to the blog itself to subscribe via RSS or email. Or, follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or subscribe to my Huffington Post articles. If you work in tech, check out my book How to Write LOIs and Term Sheets.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Rosenberg v. SAG Lawsuit Dismissed

The lawsuit filed 1-1/2 years ago by SAG's then-president Alan Rosenberg against his own union has finally been formally dismissed, according to court records and a source with knowledge of the matter. The formal dismissal actually came in late July, but appears not to have previously been reported. The dismissal was expected, as the judge had ruled on the matter a month earlier.

The action ends with a whimper a suit that attempted to reinstate SAG's previous National Executive Director, Doug Allen, and impede the ultimate achievement of the 2009 agreement between SAG and the studios and producers.

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Subscribe to my blog (jhandel.com) for more about entertainment law and digital media law. Check out my residuals chart there too. Go to the blog itself to subscribe via RSS or email. Or, follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or subscribe to my Forbes.com or Huffington Post articles. If you work in tech, check out my book How to Write LOIs and Term Sheets.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

IATSE and Teamsters Reach Mutual Assistance Pact

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees have entered into an agreement to work together toward common goals. The move represents a major change from the previously frosty relationship between the two unions.

The pact sets out how the unions will address organizing efforts, deal with jurisdictional issues and establishes new lines of communication aimed at strengthening the relationship. Teamsters Locals 399 (Los Angeles) and 817 (New York) represent motion picture and television drivers and others. IATSE represents most below the line crew.

A joint committee will be established to oversee the efforts of the two unions. Recent meetings (which I previously reported) between the leadership of the two labor organizations have led to closer ties.  The Executive Boards of both unions unanimously ratified the agreement. 
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Subscribe to my blog (jhandel.com) for more about entertainment law and digital media law. Check out my residuals chart there too. Go to the blog itself to subscribe via RSS or email. Or, follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or subscribe to my Forbes.com or Huffington Post articles. If you work in tech, check out my book How to Write LOIs and Term Sheets.

SAG National Board Candidates Announced

SAG yesterday released the official list of candidates for its upcoming national board elections.  Notably, all of the open seats in LA (the Hollywood Division) are held by MembershipFirst members, which means that, as was the case last year, MF can at best maintain its level of representation on the national board. More likely, it will lose some of its board seats.

On the Hollywood divisional board, MF could gain or lose, as all division seats are up every year. This contrasts with the national board, where approximately 1/3 of the 69 seats are up in any given year. The president and secretary-treasurer, who are ex officio members of the board, have two-year terms, and are not up for election this year.

Ballots in Hollywood and New York will be mailed on August 24 with a return deadline and tabulation on September 23. Election results are expected to be announced that evening.

The Hollywood Division will elect 13 national board members and 22 alternates. Twelve candidate positions will be seated for a three year term and one candidate position will be seated for a one (1) year term (all national board alternates serve for one year).

The New York Division will elect five national board members and nine alternates. Each seat is for a three-year term.

Directors holding nine other national board seats will be elected from SAG Branches outside Hollywood and New York. Most of them have already been elected - see below.

Hollywood Division National Board Candidates
Candidate names are listed in random order, as they will appear on the ballot. Affiliations – MembershipFirst, Unite for Strength or independent – are indicated where known. Incumbents on the national board (N) and Hollywood board (H) are indicated where known, with data on this based on information from SAGWatch.

Note that anyone from Hollywood who is on the national board is automatically a member of the Hollywood board as well, but not vice versa.

1.  Clancy Brown (MF)
2.  Esai Morales (MF, N, H)
3.  John Tremaine
4.  Mobin Khan
5.  Michael O’Neill (UFS)
6.  Woody Schultz (UFS)
7.  Ron Perlman (UFS)
8.  L. Scott Caldwell (UFS, H)
9.  Valerie Harper (MF, N, H)
10.  Bill Smitrovich (UFS, H)
11.  David Clennon (MF)
12.  David Hillberg
13.  Salazar
14.  Marisol Nichols (UFS)
15.  Pete Antico
16.  Bob Carlson (MF)
17.  Leigh French (Ind)
18.  Angela Watson (MF, N, H)
19.  Jane Austin (MF, N, H)
20.  Jeff Austin (MF, N, H)
21.  Scott Pierce
22.  Jenny Worman (MF, H)
23.  Joe Bologna (MF, H)
24.  Gabrielle Carteris (UFS, H)
25.  Assaf Cohen (UFS)
26.  David Jolliffe (MF)
27.  Sam Jaegar (UFS)
28.  Joe Stevens
29.  Amy Madigan (MF?)
30.  Sumi Haru (MF, N, H)
31.   Dawnn Lewis (UFS, H)
32.   DeWayne Williams
33.   Dileep Rao (UFS)
34.   Renée Taylor (MF, H)
35.   Paul Napier (MF)
36.   Mimi Cozzens (UFS)
37.   Christine Lakin (UFS)
38.   William Charlton (UFS)
39.   Clyde Kusatsu (UFS, H)
40.   Alan Rosenberg (MF, H)
41.   Conrad E. Palmisano (UFS)
42.   Larry Joshua
43.   William Mapother (MF, N, H)
44.   Bernie Casey (MF, H)
45.   Michelle Allsopp (UFS, H)
46.   Ned Vaughn (UFS)
47.   Jason George (UFS, H)
48.   Rico Bueno (Ind?)
49.   Patrick Fabian (UFS, H)
50.   Hector Herrera
51.   Marcia Strassman (UFS)
52.   Mandy Steckelberg (UFS, H)
53.   Clark Gregg (UFS)
54.   Bertila Damas (UFS)
55.   Jon Huertas (UFS)
56.   Joe d’Angerio (MF, N, H)
57.   Tara Radcliffe (UFS)
58.   Ellen Crawford (UFS)
59.   Alan Ruck (MF)
60.   Michele Santopietro (MF?)
61.   Clint Howard
62.   Donal Logue (UFS)
63.   Gilles Marini (UFS)
64.   Stacey Travis (UFS, H)
65.   Peter Kwong (MF?)
66.   Sarayu Rao (UFS)
67.   Jeff Garlin (UFS)
68.   Michael O’Keefe (UFS, H)
69.   Nancy Sinatra (MF, N, H)
70.   Jenny O’Hara (UFS, H)
71.   Matt Crabtree
72.   D.W. Moffett (UFS, H)
73.   Frances Fisher (MF, N, H)
74.   Carole Elliott (MF)
75.   Reneé Aubry (MF)

New York Division National Board Candidates
Candidate names are listed in order by randomly selecting a letter and then listing candidate names alphabetically by last name starting with the letter selected. The letter “U” was randomly selected, but there are no names that start with U, V, W, X, Y or Z, so the list wraps around, and “A” becomes the first to be listed. Following is the order in which they will appear on the ballot.

All listed candidates are part of United Screen Actors Nationwide, a NY based slate that generally votes the same as UFS, with the exception of Tom Nonnon, who is independent.

1.  Manny Alfaro
2.  Dave Bachman
3.  Marc Baron
4.  Justin Barrett
5.  Andrew Dolan
6.  Maureen Donnelly
7.  Nancy Giles
8.  Mike Hodge
9.  Richard Masur
10.  Sue-Anne Morrow
11.  Joe Narciso
12.  Tom Nonnon
13.  Jay Potter
14.  John Rothman
15.  Kevin Scullin

2010 SAG Regional Branch Division Board Election Candidates

Candidate names are listed in alphabetical order, as they will appear on the ballot. In most Regional Branches where candidates ran for office unopposed, the candidates may be declared elected without the necessity of a membership vote*.

Arizona
Steve Fried* (elected)

Chicago
Todd Hissong

Florida
Nancy Duerr* (elected)

Georgia
Debra Nelson* (elected)

Houston
Robert Nelson* (elected)

New Mexico
Roy Costley* (elected)

San Francisco
Tom Chantler* (elected)

Seattle
Abby Dylan* (elected)

Utah
Anne Sward* (elected)

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Subscribe to my blog (jhandel.com) for more about entertainment law and digital media law. Check out my residuals chart there too. Go to the blog itself to subscribe via RSS or email. Or, follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, or subscribe to my Forbes.com or Huffington Post articles. If you work in tech, check out my book How to Write LOIs and Term Sheets.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Prop 8 Overturned - Retrievable Copy of Decision

Federal Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco has struck down as unconstitutional California's Proposition 8, which prohibited same-sex marriage. Want to take a deep dive and read the 136 page decision? It's almost impossible to find a copy, since servers (including the most linked-to Scribd copy) are overloaded. Here's a Scribd copy that's easily downloadable and has only been read by fewer than 100 people as of this writing:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35377082/Judge-Overturns-California-s-Proposition-8.