Over 130 stars have weighed in on the SAG strike authorization, coming out firmly against. Citing the economy, the A-listers “strongly” urged SAG members not to authorize a strike, and instead “take the high road … unite with our brothers and sisters in the entertainment community and … three years down the line … make a great deal” when all the union contracts expire roughly simultaneously.
Finally, we’re hearing from the A-listers, and it may be enough to pull SAG back from the brink. Meanwhile SAG Board members in NY and Chicago came out against the authorization over the weekend.
In addition, SAG President Alan Rosenberg was forced to cancel the emergency in-person National Board meeting he had scheduled for this Friday, after SAG activists pointed out in the strongest terms that
Here’s the A-listers’ letter.
Dear SAG Board Members, officers and staff:
We feel very strongly that SAG members should not vote to authorize a strike at this time. We don't think that an authorization can be looked at as merely a bargaining tool. It must be looked at as what it is -- an agreement to strike if negotiations fail.
We support our union and we support the issues we're fighting for, but we do not believe in all good conscience that now is the time to be putting people out of work.
None of our friends in the other unions are truly happy with the deals they made in their negotiations. Three years from now all the union contracts will be up again at roughly the same time. At that point if we plan and work together with our sister unions we will have incredible leverage.
As hard as it may be to wait those three years under an imperfect agreement, we believe this is what we must do. We think that a public statement should be made by SAG recognizing that although this is not a deal we want, it is simply not a time when our union wants to have any part in creating more economic hardship while so many people are already suffering.
Let's take the high road. Let's unite with our brothers and sisters in the entertainment community and prepare for the future, three years down the line. Then, together, let's make a great deal.
Sincerely,
Alan Alda
Jason Alexander
Dave Annable
René Auberjonois
Diane Baker
Bob Balaban
Alec Baldwin
William Baldwin.
Barbara Beck
Ed Begley, Jr
Maria Bello
Barbara Bosson
Bruce Boxleitner
Josh Brolin
Pierce Brosnan
David Boreanaz
Blair Brown
Lizzy Caplan
Jennifer Carpenter
Steve Carrell
Mark Cassen
Erika Christensen
George Clooney
Glenn Close
Scott Cohen
Jack Coleman
Stephen Collins
Peter Coyote
James Cromwell
Billy Crystal
Matt Damon
Ted Danson
James Darren
Bruce Davison
James Denton
Brian Dennehy
Danny DeVito
Cameron Diaz
Garret Dillahunt
Larry Dorf
Minnie Driver
Patty Duke
Charles S. Dutton.
Shelley Fabares
Bill Fagerbakke
Mike Farrell
Sally Field
Kate Flannery
Morgan Freeman
Jennifer Garner
Teri Garr
Melissa Gilbert
Sara Gilbert
John Goodman
Christopher Gorham
Heather Graham
Kelsey Grammer
Jennifer Grey
Michael Gross
Christopher Guest
Annabelle Gurwitch
Michael C. Hall
Tom Hanks
Tess Harper
Mariette Hartley
Ed Helms
Marilu Henner
Cheryl Hines
Felicity Huffman
Helen Hunt
Jeremy Irons
Kathryn Joosten
Carol Kane
Diane Keaton
Jamie Kennedy
Mimi Kennedy
TR Knight
Sarah Knowlton
John Krasinski
Michele Lee
Lucy Liu
Rob Lowe
Tobey Maguire
Janel Maloney
Camryn Manheim
Marlee Matlin
Melanie Mayron
Andrew McCarthy
Mary McCormack
Chris McDonald
Neal McDonough
Rob McElhenney
Ewan McGregor
Eva Mendes
Debra Messing
Helen Mirren
James Naughton
Edward Norton
Michael Nouri
Gail O'Grady
Kaitlin Olson
Sam Page
Eva Longoria Parker
Adrian Pasdar
Steve Pasquale
Rhea Perlman
Jaimie Pressley
Jason Ritter
John Saxon
William Schallert
Adam Scott
Tony Shalhoub
Armin Shimerman
Christian Slater
Kevin Spacey
Jerry Sroka
Mary Steenburgen
Marcia Strassman
Brenda Strong
Donald Sutherland
Kitty Swink
David Tadman
Jeffrey Tambor
Charlize Theron
Ally
Tracey Walter
Belinda Waymouth
Bradley Whitford.
Lee Wilkoff
Brian Wimmer
Kevin Zegers
Louis Zoric
