Hollywood Labor’s Long-Term Future: More Unrest

After a year and a half of Hollywood labor turmoil, we’re finally nearing a SAG deal and the end of this negotiating cycle. Will this be the beginning of a new era of labor peace in the industry?

Unfortunately not. Silicon Valley is not going to suddenly take an Ambien and stop innovating. That means that a scant two years from now, when negotiations for 2011 renewals of the guild and union contracts begin, negotiators will be challenged with even newer forms of “new media,” new business models, and new economic realities.

Thus, the cycle of anxiety, distrust and failed bargaining may begin again. And so on when those renewals expire three years later, and again three years after that, and so forth. Hollywood is now yoked to the computer, Internet and consumer electronics industries, all of which evolve at breakneck speed, dragging slower-moving Hollywood along like a clumsy partner in a three-legged race. That has toxic consequences for the entertainment industry’s labor relations, including, notably, an increased risk of strikes, stalemates and slowdowns.

What to do? I suggest that Hollywood guilds, unions and management form a joint New Media Working Group. This body should have members from management and from the Writers Guild (WGA), Directors Guild (DGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), AFTRA, IATSE, and management. Perhaps the AFM (musicians union) should be included as well; I don’t know enough about that union to venture an opinion.

The function of the Working Group would be to analyze and report on developments in new media and the possible resulting effect on existing labor agreements and relationships. The goal would be to track those changes on an ongoing basis and generate various options for addressing them in the collective bargaining agreements.

By doing this work on an ongoing basis, it might be possible to reduce the paroxysms of last-minute activity that characterize the negotiating process today. And, by conducting this work jointly, it might be possible to bring the various unions, and management, onto the same page in their subsequent negotiations: that is, to ensure that everyone has a common knowledge base from which to work.

To do its work, the committee should meet quarterly or even monthly. It will need research support (sharing of data) from all parties, and a budget for purchase of research reports and other such expenses, consultants as necessary, and perhaps a staff person who would travel regularly to Silicon Valley. The committee would build relationships with major players and information sources—agencies, attorneys, other guilds, academics, research firms, tech companies, and the like.

Silicon Valley will continue to innovate, and new media will continue to evolve. Yet, when it comes to guild agreements, the entertainment industry seems content to snooze between contract renewals. Isn’t it time to try a different approach?

Portions of this article previously appeared December 14, 2007, as Memo to DGA - Please Propose a Tri-Guild New Media Adjustment Committee.

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Screen Actors Guild President Calls Actors “Frightened Little Children”

In an extraordinary interview with The Wrap, SAG President Alan Rosenberg said that “actors are frightened little children,” and referred to his opponents—a majority of the SAG board—as “liars and manipulators.”

Rosenberg also said of himself that “my life sucks,” and then, accompanying himself on guitar, actually sung a plaintive folk song of his own devising, whose lyrics included such lines as “Al and Doug and Doug Allen?, they stand up way too hard . . . I will bury them right in my own backyard.” The song is cast in the voice of an ungrateful union member: “I don’t care about nobody. No, I only care about me.” In the interview, Rosenberg notes that he’s not a singer, a guitar player, or “even a songwriter” (all of which is evident), but adds that his first cousin is rock and roll star Donald Fagen of Steely Dan.

The spoken-word portion of the interview also includes a defense of fired national executive director Doug Allen, and the conversation comes just days after an email from Rosenberg to SAG members in which he practically beatified Allen. Describing Allen in the interview as “extraordinary” and “the best thing that’s ever happened to our union,” Rosenberg adds “Here I am—my partner was fired. . . . It’s certainly disappointing.” Taken together, the letter and interview suggest a strong friendship, as well as professional partnership, between Rosenberg and Allen.

Rosenberg’s pain is palpable: “I’m angry. . . . Sad. Disappointed. The last two days I feel sort of isolated. I’m shut out from planning meetings. I feel isolated from the operations of the union.” Let it be said, no one should take any pleasure from Rosenberg’s suffering. Sympathy is a better reaction.

That sympathy, however, can only be mustered with conflicting emotions. After all, this is the man who presided over a 28 hour board meeting at which he suppressed the board’s moderate majority by abusing parliamentary procedure and calling his own lawyers “liars” (apparently a theme with Rosenberg), yet in the interview he cops merely to having done “a little filibustering.”

Rosenberg, whose term as president ends in September, adds that “I’ve seen all my hard work of the past three and a half years amounting to nothing.” It’s hard to empathize, given that both the outgoing Rosenberg and the ousted Allen have left the union with seven contracts that have expired (or nearly so, in one case), as well as having riven the union with conflict.

The last few days, which follow Monday’s firing of Allen just a day after the SAG Awards, seem to have been a time for unusually candid interviews (although none with Allen himself). A series in Back Stage magazine’s Blog Stage blog provides additional examples. For instance, a Rosenberg ally, SAG 1^st VP Anne-Marie Johnson, acknowledges that she wants to strip the rival AFTRA union of jurisdiction over actors, and all but implies that her and Rosenberg’s Membership First faction would fire newly installed interim National Executive Director David White if they regain power.

The second interview in the Back Stage series features NY board member and Membership First opponent Richard Masur, who says that SAG should accept the new media terms of the AFTRA deal as is. I agree that SAG should abandon as unattainable for this negotiating cycle its demands for an improvement in new media, but I do hope there’s room for bettering the AFTRA deal in other ways, as I intend to discuss in another post.

Finally, Paul Christie, another NY board member and former 2^nd national VP, puts forth the sensible idea of merging SAG not just with AFTRA, but with several other entertainment unions as well. He acknowledges, however, that this is a long-term goal: “I don’t think at the present time, with our history, too many people would want to get in bed with us, at least not yet. We’re pretty bizarre suitors at this point.”

“Bizarre” is a good way of summing up the developments of the last 12 months or so. Next up: a two-day meeting Tuesday and Wednesday between SAG’s new negotiators and the AMPTP team (representing the studios). The fact that it’s a two-day get-together suggests that it’s intended as something more than a mere meet-and-greet. Good stuff.

Thus, the union’s new management is off to a fast start, but there’s some real work to do to arrive at a deal. I’m hoping we’ll see an agreement by the end of February or early March. That would be followed by a three-week voting period on ratification.

Because a significant portion of the board—the Membership First faction—is likely to oppose the deal, the ballot materials will include both pro and con statements. As a result, ratification could still be uncertain. The chance of a strike, on the other hand, is close to zero.

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SAG-AMPTP Meeting Tentatively Planned for Early Next Week

Sources close to the situation tell me that SAG and the AMPTP (studios) are planning for a meeting early next week, perhaps Tuesday. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, caution that the logistics are still being arranged, and that it is as yet unsure whether all the necessary people can be available at that time, in which case a different date would need to be chosen. This would be the first meeting under the new SAG administration. SAG and the AMPTP told me they had no comment.

UPDATE: I'm now told the meeting is definitely on for Tuesday and Wednesday. It's not clear if this will be a formal negotiating session, but a two day meeting does sound like more than a mere meet and greet. The AMPTP and SAG again had no comment.

On a separate matter, I'm told that David White, SAG's new interim National Executive Director, received one or two standing ovations at his first meeting with SAG staff yesterday, with about 40 people present.

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Also, check out KPCC's Airtalk two days ago, featuring Jay Fernandez (Hollywood Reporter), Alan Rosenberg and me:

Podcast: http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510128

Streaming: http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/kpcc/news/shows/airtalk/2009/01/20090127_airtalk1
(from http://www.scpr.org/programs/airtalk/ )

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SAG Email Imbroglio

Yesterday, the Screen Actor’s Guild’s new Interim National Executive Director, David White, sent an email to members, setting a tone of unity and moving forward. It was a very hopeful sign of the new era in place at SAG headquarters. The message was calm, eloquent and forward-looking—in other words, something entirely new from SAG HQ.

Hours later, SAG President Alan Rosenberg sent out his own email to members, and we were reminded yet again how tough the road to a ratified deal will be for SAG, let alone the road to unity. That email reads like a dispatch from an alternate reality, starting as it does with the disingenuous complaint that fired NED Doug Allen was terminated by a written document called an assent rather than in “a face-to-face Board meeting, where the significant minority would have had an opportunity to voice its opinion.” There was a Board meeting, of course, just two weeks ago. Rosenberg presided over it and used 28 hours of procedural abuses to suppress the Board majority whose resulting actions he now complains of.

Rosenberg playing the wounded democrat is peculiar enough, but two paragraphs later he dons clerical garb, and the missive becomes an elegy to Allen, who apparently was so noble that a madding crowd had no choice but to dispatch him: “Doug Allen was fired because he was simply too good, too strong, and too much a unionist.” It’s hard to know whether to criticize language like this or be embarrassed by it. Rosenberg then tells us, Allen “gave us . . . courage” and “we were profoundly moved by his love for and dedication to actors.”

Beatification complete, the email turns to a darker purpose: firing the first shot of the September 2009 campaigns for SAG board and, critically, President. The most stunning—and presumptuous—part of the email is this:

Make no mistake . . . if there is any gain made [in contract negotiations], or if we are ultimately able to resist one of the massive roll backs . . . it will not be due to the skill of this new “negotiating team”. Anything that is won from this point forward will still be the result of the enormously hard work put in by Doug Allen and the [pre-existing] majority of the negotiating team.

In case we were wondering about the Membership First election strategy, there it is: heads I win, tails you lose. In other words: the good aspects of the ultimate deal are to be credited to Rosenberg’s Membership First faction (and to the former NED), and the inevitable compromises are to be hung round the neck of the moderates and set ablaze.

A corollary is that MF will probably oppose ratification of any deal the negotiators arrive at. Indeed, the threshold question is whether Rosenberg and/or SAG 1^st VP Anne-Marie Johnson, both of whom are members of the new negotiating task force, will try to spike a deal. In any case, a paragraph or two later, the email ends with the obligatory “In unity,” but the phrase seems reflexive at best.

Copies of both emails are below.

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A Message from Interim National Executive Director David White

Dear Screen Actors Guild member,

As I enter my first full day today as your new Interim National Executive Director, I have reflected on a Los Angeles Examiner story from 1937 that once hung on the wall of my Screen Actors Guild office when I served as General Counsel.

The article chronicled the moment when the studios had finally recognized the Guild as the labor representative for actors in the motion picture industry. A grainy photograph captured members celebrating the news together, the joy in their faces richly evident. That moment, and the incredible work that it took Guild members to reach that moment, have served as the foundation for 75 years of history that has followed.

In my previous tenure at the Guild, I worked alongside several elected National Boards, two presidents (current President Rosenberg and former President Melissa Gilbert) and three National Executive Directors. My intention now, as Interim National Executive Director, will be to work with your current National Board to navigate through a period that is brimming with both challenges and opportunities – from completing our TV/Theatrical negotiations; to preparing for and securing a new Commercials contract as well as several other smaller but critically important labor agreements; to repairing relations with our sister unions; and addressing a polarized political system that is perceived by too many of our members as being close to broken. As we confront these efforts together, my overarching goal is this: to help restore your confidence that this is a union where strong and wise decisions are made despite political differences.

The greatest challenge facing this union is to find a way for democratic leadership to flourish – for disagreement and debate to build into unity and power. The Guild’s diversity of opinion should, and must, serve as a source of strength and solidarity. I believe in the Guild’s capacity for this. And that is why today I offer two messages to each and every member: First, I will be at the office each day to work with your talented staff and your National Board to achieve objectives that advance your interests as actors; and, second, it is time to turn the page on the most destructive aspects of the Guild’s internal politics.

In this swiftly changing environment, we will not be successful if we do not work together. This effort will take an entire union – all members, from background actors, to stunt performers, to voice over actors; those working in film television, commercials, industrials and video games; dancers and singers; middle-class actors, to high-profile ones, to struggling artists working each day to break through for their first chance. We must work together. Because if not, the well-known words that a previous leader offered to a once-divided collection of citizens will matter to us now: united we stand; divided we fall.

During this extraordinary period for both our union and country, I am again reminded of the achievement of the Guild’s founders as recounted in that 1937 Los Angeles Examiner story. Their achievement came as a result of a supreme effort by a group of committed performers willing to set aside their differences in pursuit of that shared purpose. The result: they built an organization whose membership card today remains the ultimate benchmark for professional performers. The triumph of the Guild’s founders cannot be overstated – nor can the sacrifice, wisdom and political maturity that was required to achieve it.

I enter this interim role with the grand history of the Screen Actors Guild rooted firmly in my mind. I did not seek this position, but I am honored to act as its temporary custodian. You have my pledge that I will direct all my energies to steadying this historic organization and ensuring its success. I thank the Guild’s National Board for the confidence and trust they have placed in me on your behalf. And I look forward to working together, in solidarity.

David White

Interim National Executive Director

Screen Actors Guild

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Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:36:33 -0800

To: SAG Members

Subject: A Message from National President Alan Rosenberg

My Fellow Screen Actors Guild Members,

Yesterday, on January 26th, a slim majority of our National Board voted to fire our National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen. This was not accomplished in a face-to-face Board meeting, where the significant minority would have had an opportunity to voice its opinion and where Mr. Allen would have had a chance to face his accusers and address their concerns. Instead, this drastic action was accomplished by “written assent”, the most undemocratic provision allowed by our Constitution.

As your twice-elected National President, I feel that it is my responsibility to give you my perspective on yesterday’s events, although my ability to do so is somewhat limited. The same majority, 52.52%, that fired Mr. Allen also voted to change our Board policy that designated the National President to be one of the official spokespeople for the Guild. As of yesterday, the only two people who are permitted to officially speak for Screen Actors Guild are our newly appointed interim NED, David White, and John McGuire, our Senior Advisor from New York. The members now have no official voice. I appreciate the fact that Mr. White thinks it is preposterous to silence a duly elected national officer, and so has permitted me this forum, provided I inform you that what I am about to write represents my opinion. However, although I am not writing on behalf of the Guild, I believe I do speak for the nearly 48% percent of the Board who are deeply concerned about what was done yesterday and about how these changes were accomplished.

Many of us believe that Doug Allen was fired because he was simply too good, too strong, and too much a unionist. His greatest sin was in challenging the idea that we be bound by the concept of “pattern bargaining”, under which actors have been disadvantaged for decades. Doug gave us the courage to accept the fact that we had a legal right to pursue an agreement that addressed the specific needs of actors; that it is unreasonable to think that the DGA or WGA, without asking any questions pertaining to actors’ participation in “new media”, could strike a deal that would adequately address the concerns of our 120,000 members and the diverse nature and needs of a membership that includes middle class actors, background actors, stunt performers, singers, dancers and our biggest stars. I, and the majority of our negotiating committee, were amazed by Doug’s skill as a negotiator and team leader, and by his diigence and breadth of knowledge. We were profoundly moved by his love for and dedication to actors.

I have no doubt that, if our Board had demonstrated any solidarity whatsoever, Doug and our committee would have arrived at an acceptable deal some time ago. Instead, members of that Board engaged in a systematic effort to sabotage these negotiations by passing motions that prescribed courses of action, and then repudiating those motions, thereby throwing our leadership into a state of chaos and our membership into a state of confusion. This was done consistently and, I believe, intentionally, so that our progressive leadership would be made to appear inept, which would pave the way towards a return to the go-along-to-get-along days of yore.

Now there is a new lead negotiator in the person of John T. McGuire. Our Negotiating Committee has been replaced by a new, more moderate Task Force. You can expect that not long after this new team enters the Bargaining Room, they will be offered some “plum”, some concession from the AMPTP that was said, heretofore, to be unattainable. This will be given by our employers, not as an act of good will, but as a demonstration of the fact that “reasonableness” will be rewarded, while “militancy” will be punished. Make no mistake, if this should occur, if there is any gain made, or if we are ultimately able to resist one of the massive roll backs that has been demanded, it will not be due to the skill of this new “negotiating team”. Anything that is won from this point forward will still be the result of the enormously hard work put in by Doug Allen and the majority of the negotiating team that has been in place since our W and W caucuses began a year ago this February. I am enormously proud of that team, led by Doug , of which I was a member.

We were able to change the discussion about these existing deals from the obfuscatory claims that they were somehow “groundbreaking” to a sobering dialogue, illuminating just how damaging these new media deals might be to the prospects of a middle class actor’s ability to make a living.

You should know that the ability to get things accomplished by “written assent” was also available to the progressive leadership that held the majority in the Boardroom prior to the most recent election. That Draconian option was never employed, however. Despite what has been said about that majority, they always made democracy their highest priority. They understood that a slim majority of 52% or 53 % gave no one the right to ride roughshod over a significant minority; they understood what the use of such a tactic would do to democracy in our union; they never desired to open that Pandora’s Box. Unfortunately, now it has been opened and precedent has been set. I, and the previous Board majority, have always been willing to compromise on any issue. Compromise is the way things get accomplished in a contentious democracy such as ours. To date, I have not been approached by a single Board member from New York, the RBD, or from the ironically named slate “Unite for Strength”, to try and find common ground on any issue. If these elected officials desire to move forward in any significant way in the name of the members, this behavior must change.

In unity,

Alan Rosenberg

SAG – Msg from New National Executive Director

SAG’s new Interim National Executive Director just sent to members, and posted on SAG.org, a message setting a tone of unity and moving forward. I’ve included a copy below.

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A Message from Interim National Executive Director David White

Dear Screen Actors Guild member,

As I enter my first full day today as your new Interim National Executive Director, I have reflected on a Los Angeles Examiner story from 1937 that once hung on the wall of my Screen Actors Guild office when I served as General Counsel.

The article chronicled the moment when the studios had finally recognized the Guild as the labor representative for actors in the motion picture industry. A grainy photograph captured members celebrating the news together, the joy in their faces richly evident. That moment, and the incredible work that it took Guild members to reach that moment, have served as the foundation for 75 years of history that has followed.

In my previous tenure at the Guild, I worked alongside several elected National Boards, two presidents (current President Rosenberg and former President Melissa Gilbert) and three National Executive Directors. My intention now, as Interim National Executive Director, will be to work with your current National Board to navigate through a period that is brimming with both challenges and opportunities – from completing our TV/Theatrical negotiations; to preparing for and securing a new Commercials contract as well as several other smaller but critically important labor agreements; to repairing relations with our sister unions; and addressing a polarized political system that is perceived by too many of our members as being close to broken. As we confront these efforts together, my overarching goal is this: to help restore your confidence that this is a union where strong and wise decisions are made despite political differences.

The greatest challenge facing this union is to find a way for democratic leadership to flourish – for disagreement and debate to build into unity and power. The Guild’s diversity of opinion should, and must, serve as a source of strength and solidarity. I believe in the Guild’s capacity for this. And that is why today I offer two messages to each and every member: First, I will be at the office each day to work with your talented staff and your National Board to achieve objectives that advance your interests as actors; and, second, it is time to turn the page on the most destructive aspects of the Guild’s internal politics.

In this swiftly changing environment, we will not be successful if we do not work together. This effort will take an entire union – all members, from background actors, to stunt performers, to voice over actors; those working in film television, commercials, industrials and video games; dancers and singers; middle-class actors, to high-profile ones, to struggling artists working each day to break through for their first chance. We must work together. Because if not, the well-known words that a previous leader offered to a once-divided collection of citizens will matter to us now: united we stand; divided we fall.

During this extraordinary period for both our union and country, I am again reminded of the achievement of the Guild’s founders as recounted in that 1937 Los Angeles Examiner story. Their achievement came as a result of a supreme effort by a group of committed performers willing to set aside their differences in pursuit of that shared purpose. The result: they built an organization whose membership card today remains the ultimate benchmark for professional performers. The triumph of the Guild’s founders cannot be overstated – nor can the sacrifice, wisdom and political maturity that was required to achieve it.

I enter this interim role with the grand history of the Screen Actors Guild rooted firmly in my mind. I did not seek this position, but I am honored to act as its temporary custodian. You have my pledge that I will direct all my energies to steadying this historic organization and ensuring its success. I thank the Guild’s National Board for the confidence and trust they have placed in me on your behalf. And I look forward to working together, in solidarity.

David White

Interim National Executive Director

Screen Actors Guild

SAG No News Press Release

SAG's out with a press release confirming what was first reported about 10 hours ago ... though in fairness, they've had a rough day over there in the SAG Communications department. The press release also gives short bios of the two new highly-qualified people stepping in to right the ship, David White as interim NED and John McGuire as Chief Negotiator.

Here's the release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


SCREEN ACTORS GUILD STATEMENT REGARDING NATIONAL BOARD ACTIONS OF JANUARY 26, 2009

Los Angeles (January 26, 2009) -- The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors by written assent today terminated the employment of Doug Allen and appointed former Guild general counsel David White to replace him as interim national executive director. The board further appointed longtime Guild senior advisor John T. McGuire as chief negotiator.

The board also disbanded the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee and directed that it be replaced with a Taskforce directed to complete these negotiations on behalf of the board of directors.

All actions are effective immediately.

The assent was received and verified by Guild legal counsel and Screen Actors Guild’s outside counsel.

White has assumed his role as interim national executive director and will work from the Guild’s national headquarters office in Los Angeles beginning Tuesday, January 27, 2009.

“This is a difficult time for Screen Actors Guild and a particularly challenging period for working actors,” said White. “I am deeply committed to the Guild and its members and I believe that, working with the national board, we can help guide this transition.”

“I look forward to working closely with this talented and dedicated staff, many of whom I know well from my years as the Guild’s general counsel,” he added.

During his tenure as Screen Actors Guild’s general counsel, White directed the organization’s legal and governance staff and played a central role in the Guild’s contract negotiations and strategic planning efforts. He later co-founded and served as the managing principal of the consulting firm Entertainment Strategies Group (ESG). A graduate of Stanford Law School and a Rhodes Scholar, White was previously a labor and employment attorney at the Los Angeles firm of O’Melveny & Myers.

He has consulted for Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago and a variety of urban development projects in the United States, England and South Africa. He currently serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Grinnell College and is the former co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Sports & Entertainment Labor Law Standing Committee. He also serves as a Mayoral-appointed commissioner of Los Angeles for urban area planning and development.

John T. McGuire is currently the Guild’s senior advisor. During his nearly 40 years with the union, he participated in or led more than 30 contract negotiations covering actors. From 1983 to 2001, he was Screen Actors Guild’s associate national executive director, the second highest ranking executive position. Prior to 1983 he served as the New York executive director.

McGuire graduated from Fordham College with a B.A. degree in History and from Fordham Law School with a J.D. degree in law. He has represented the union internationally at meetings with performer organizations around the world. He serves as a trustee of the SAG-Producers Pension & Health Plans, as well as vice president and founding director of the American Museum of the Moving Image, president of the Council of Motion Picture & Television Unions of New York City, secretary of the Motion Picture Players Welfare Fun and as a trustee of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. He is a member of the board of the Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund and is vice president of the International Federation of Actors.

Guild senior executives issued an email reminding Guild employees to continue to pursue the organization’s core mission of serving and protecting the interests of Screen Actors Guild members.

SAG National Executive Director Firing – How it Went Down

The SAG board’s moderate majority fired National Executive Director Doug Allen today by using a document signed by board members and called a “written assent.” Much to my surprise, Allen chose not to fight and instead emailed the SAG staff acknowledging that he had been terminated and saying goodbye. A copy of the email is below.

Perhaps one reason Allen agreed so readily is that—as has not previously been reported—the assent provides that his contract will be paid out in full. The assent itself has not previously been released. However, I’ve received a copy. See below.

A natural question is how the process unfolded. I spoke to two sources close to the situation who laid out the following narrative:

At around 11:00 a.m. Monday morning, a group of board members went to SAG’s LA headquarters. The group included Unite for Strength leader Ned Vaughn, NY board member Sam Freed, board members Ken Howard, Pamela Reed, Stacey Travis, Gabrielle Carteris and two others whose names I don’t know.

The group, which was not accompanied by counsel, presented the written assent to SAG General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and SAG outside counsel Bob Bush—both of whom SAG President Alan Rosenberg had allegedly derided two weeks ago as “liars” who “don’t know what [they’re] talking about.”

Crabtree-Ireland and Bush withdrew for 15-20 minutes with the document while the actors waited in the Foundation Room. The two lawyers then returned and acknowledged that the document was in order. Doug Allen then came to the meeting room and asked the actors if there was anything that any of them wanted to say to him directly. There was an awkward silence, then one of the actors answered “Thank you for your service.” Allen replied “You’re welcome,” then stalked out, slamming the door.

Also worth noting: The written assent also dissolves the Negotiating Committee and replaces it with a 10-member task force. The Hollywood members include three Membership First partisans: SAG President Alan Rosenberg, 1^st VP Anne-Marie Johnson, and board member Clancy Brown; plus independent board member Morgan Fairchild, and Unite for Strength leader and board alternate Ned Vaughn.

Thus, Membership First retains a majority of the Hollywood membership on the task force, just as they have within the Hollywood Division board itself (though not the national board). One hopes that they’ll use their presence constructively, not obstructively. New York members of the task force are 2^nd VP Sam Freed and board members Mike Hodge and Matt Servitto. The Regional (RBD) members are Mike Pniewski and Nancy Duerr.

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From: Doug Allen

Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 1:02 PM

To: Everyone Everywhere

Subject: Message from Doug Allen

I have been informed by SAG counsel that the National Board has terminated my employment as National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of Screen Actors Guild. I am disappointed in the board’s decision, which was made by written assent, and I am proud of my record as SAG’s NED and Chief Negotiator.

I wish Screen Actors Guild and its members success and I have been honored to serve them. I have particularly enjoyed leading the wonderful men and women on the SAG staff and serving with SAG’s National President Alan Rosenberg and National Secretary-Treasurer Connie Stevens.

I have made some wonderful friendships with many SAG elected leaders, members and staff and will cherish those friendships forever.

My best wishes to you all,

Doug Allen

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[Here’s the written assent]

Pursuant to the Screen Actors Guild Constitution, Article V, Section 1. (J.) (4.), the following actions are hereby authorized through written assent by a majority of the members of the SAG National Board of Directors.

I. Effective immediately, Doug Allen is terminated as an employee of Screen Actors Guild. Upon receipt of this document, he is to cease and desist in all work on behalf of this union. He is no longer the National Executive Director and has no authority to take any action, make any statement on behalf of this union or direct any Guild employee to take any action. Nor may he authorize the expenditure of any moneys which the Guild possesses. He is to immediately vacate the premises under the supervision of Bob Bush or, in his absence, such other person that the General Counsel may select, and may remove only his personal effects. Further, he is no longer Chief Negotiator of the TV/Theatrical or Commercials Contracts. The compensation due him under his contract will be paid in full, through its expiration date. This order will commence and satisfy any notice period regarding his employment termination applicable under his employment agreement.

II. Effective immediately, David White, former General Counsel of Screen Actors Guild, is hereby engaged as the Interim National Executive Director of Screen Actors Guild. In light of the vacuum created by the termination of NED Doug Allen, and the precarious position the Guild finds itself in, we deem it critical to hire an Interim NED with the industry experience, professional skills, and familiarity with the Guild’s operations to immediately help us return this union to a stable footing.

III. Effective immediately, John T. McGuire, the Senior Adviser to Screen Actors Guild is hereby named Chief Negotiator for all contracts. In light of the vacuum created by the termination of Doug Allen, we deem it critical to appoint a Chief Negotiator with the professional skills, and standing in the industry to immediately step in and successfully complete the TV/Theatrical negotiations, the uncompleted Basic Cable, Animation and Interactive Agreements, and lead us through the imminent Commercial Contract negotiations. Mr. McGuire will, in consultation with Mr. White, be responsible for all contract negotiations and enforcement.

IV. Effective immediately until the October 2009 National Board Plenary, Guideline II of the National Committee Guidelines (dealing with Taskforces) is suspended.

V. Effective immediately, the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee is disbanded and is no longer authorized to continue negotiations on the TV/Theatrical Agreement or, because of its interrelated nature, the Live Action Basic Cable Agreement. In its place, a Taskforce is hereby formed to complete these negotiations on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Taskforce shall be comprised of the following 10 Members: HWD; Alan Rosenberg, Anne-Marie Johnson, Clancy Brown, Morgan Fairchild, Ned Vaughn, NY; Sam Freed, Mike Hodge, Matt Servitto, RBD; Mike Pniewski, Nancy Duerr, and 10 Alternates (to attend only if needed and at request of absent member): HWD; Stacey Travis, Leigh French, Jane Austin, NY; John Rothman, Sam Robards, RBD: Roy Costley, Molly Ballard, Abby Dylan, Katherine Howell, Mary McDonald-Lewis. The Taskforce will work with the Chief Negotiator, John McGuire, with the assistance of Ray Rodriguez and any staff of their choosing, to complete these negotiations and bring their recommendations back to the National Board.

VI. Effective immediately, no one other than the Interim National Executive Director and John T. McGuire, or their designee, is authorized to communicate on behalf of Screen Actors Guild to other organizations, the general public or the press on any subjects whatsoever, including the actions contained in this document. This pertains to all SAG staff and elected officers.

VII. Michelle Bennett and all staff in the Governance Department, under guidance from the Guild’s general counsel, are hereby instructed to develop and implement a fraud-proof security system to regulate the use of the voting remotes used by Board members to cast their votes.

VIII. Effective immediately, the Guild retains the law firm of Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers LLP to advise the National Board and represent the Guild in negotiation of the terms of a written contract with David White. The Guild further authorizes the payment of $10,000 to Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers LLP as a deposit toward costs and fees incurred by the Guild, with the balance to be refunded to the Guild upon the termination of the firm's services.

IX. If any of the actions contained herein is deemed unenforceable under the Constitution and Bylaws of the Guild, all other actions shall remain valid and shall be implemented.

X. These actions are being authorized by separate written agreements of a majority of the members of the National Board of Directors pursuant to Article V, Section 1. (J.) (4.) of the SAG Constitution and Bylaws.

As provided for by Article V, Section 1. (J.) (4.) of the SAG Constitution and Bylaws, I hereby give my written assent to the foregoing resolution in its entirety.

Signature __________________________________ Date ____________________

Board Member (Print Name) ___________________________________

Division ____________________________

Vote Weight ________

SAG Moderates File Document to Fire National Executive Director

The civil war at the Screen Actors Guild has gone nuclear. As expected, the moderates on the SAG National Board today delivered a document to SAG headquarters that ousts Doug Allen as National Executive Director and dissolves the negotiating committee. Allen is replaced by two people: SAG’s former General Counsel David White as interim NED and SAG Senior Advisor John McGuire as Chief Negotiator. Guild president Alan Rosenberg is unmentioned in the document and would remain in place until his term ends in September.

The document, called a written assent, is signed by a majority of SAG’s national board (including Unite for Strength board members and most or all others who are not part of Membership First), as provided for in SAG’s constitution. The question now becomes whether SAG will accede to the assent, as it were. SAG will probably try to find some deficiency in the document, which I haven’t examined as it has not been released. Ultimately, I’d expect a lawsuit. This process will not be quick.

The SAG moderates’ statement is below.

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A Message to Members from the SAG National Board Majority

Today we took an important and necessary action to address the leadership crisis at Screen Actors Guild. Representatives from SAG’s National Board majority delivered a “written assent” document to SAG headquarters which authorized the following: Doug Allen is immediately replaced as National Executive Director by former SAG General Counsel David White, who will serve as interim NED; Guild Senior Advisor John T. McGuire is appointed as Chief Negotiator of all SAG contracts; the TV/Theatrical Contract Negotiating Committee is replaced by a Taskforce which will complete negotiations on behalf of the Board of Directors.

In a meeting two weeks ago, a majority of the board sought to make the crucial changes now contained in the written assent, but were derailed by President Alan Rosenberg and a minority of board members through endless parliamentary games and improper behavior. By filibustering for over 28 straight hours, they prevented the Board from ever taking a vote on the majority’s proposal.

This unprecedented level of obstruction has paralyzed the Guild.

Written assent is included in SAG’s constitution to allow a majority of the Board to take action outside the boardroom if necessary. While extraordinary circumstances may require the use of written assent, we do not believe it is a desirable way to conduct Guild business. In this case, the unrelenting obstruction by a minority of board members has left us no alternative.

This action has the support of all but one of the National Board members from SAG’S New York and Regional Branch Divisions, and all in the Hollywood Division except those affiliated with the group Membership First. The signed written assent documents were delivered today to SAG headquarters in Los Angeles.

Upon implementation of the approved motion, Interim National Executive Director David White will assume control of all Guild operations and will coordinate with Chief Negotiator John McGuire to contact the AMPTP to undertake resolution of TV/Theatrical Contract negotiations, which ground to a halt nearly seven months ago. The leaner TV/Theatrical Taskforce will work alongside Mr. McGuire as the "eyes and ears of the board," providing input and support as contract negotiations are concluded.

Beyond the stalled TV/Theatrical negotiations, there is much work to be done and SAG members can rest assured that we have secured an exemplary leader in David White. A Rhodes Scholar, Mr. White has extensive industry experience and was SAG's General Counsel from 2002 to 2006. He knows the Guild and its contracts, and has the respect of our staff and the entertainment community. Our Chief Negotiator, John McGuire, is a 40-year SAG staff veteran who has negotiated over 30 contracts and is held in enormous esteem throughout the industry and the labor movement. We have complete confidence in his ability to deliver the best possible contracts for our members.

These much needed changes will allow SAG to chart a new course. We will work to secure a TV/Theatrical Contract that can be sent to members with a positive recommendation, and to effectively resolve all our outstanding contracts, including the Commercials Contract. We will also work to rebuild vital relationships in the entertainment and labor communities, and to reestablish Screen Actors Guild as a respected and powerful institution, protecting and defending performers nationwide.

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In its entirety, the written assent accomplishes the following:

- Removes Doug Allen as National Executive Director;

- Engages David White as interim National Executive Director;

- Names John McGuire as Chief Negotiator for all contracts, including the TV/Theatrical Contract currently in negotiation;

- Replaces the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee with a Taskforce, which will represent the Board of Directors;

- Directs that only interim NED David White, John McGuire, or their designee may communicate on behalf of Screen Actors Guild to other organizations, the general public, or the press;

- Retains the law firm of Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers LLP to advise the National Board and represent the Guild in negotiation of the terms of a written contract with David White;

- In response to voting irregularities at the last Board meeting, instructs SAG staff to develop and implement a fraud-proof security system to regulate the use of the voting remotes used by Board members to cast their votes.

*In the interest of compliance with the AFTRA-SAG non-disparagement agreement under the AFL-CIO, Members of SAG’s National Board majority who are also AFTRA officers or board members wish to officially record themselves as abstaining from this statement.

SAG Awards: Impressions from the Red Carpet

The SAG Awards sparkled. Women in beautiful dresses, perfectly accessorized; men crisply attired in suits or tuxes; and flash cameras and video everywhere—it was quite a scene. There was drama …

… and romance:

Boldface names made their way down the red carpet: the bolder the name, the faster they moved. Oops, there went Brad Pitt (Benjamin Button). Too late. But Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) did pause for a moment:

He picked up an award later that evening for male actor in a comedy series. Meanwhile, the unofficial award for cutest kids went to the ones playing adman Don Draper’s children in Mad Men. Kiernan Shipka looks sweet …

… but advised me that if she won an award (she did, as part of an ensemble), it would go next to her Tae Kwon Do trophies. Easy there tiger! Meanwhile, her cast-mate and fellow winner Aaron Hart is a handsome little fellow …

… but he hasn’t let success go to his towhead: when I asked what actors he admires, he said he doesn’t want to be an actor when he grows up. He didn’t offer an alternative though, so maybe he’ll reconsider. Other sightings on the red carpet included Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock & Weeds), who won an award as part of the 30 Rock ensemble:

...Charles Carver & Max Carver (Desperate Housewives):

... and several Dexter cast members:

Finally, we swept ourselves off the red carpet and into the depths of the Shrine Auditorium. The awards show began, and proved early on that it would move at a brisk clip. House’s Hugh Laurie had one of the best lines of night, commenting that he “actually had $100 on [fellow nominee] James Spader. This is just not my night.” But, of course, it was his night, and many other winners’ and nominees’ as well. Among the winners was a happy Laura Linney:

SAG politics weren’t completely absent from the festivities, of course. Alec Baldwin and Sally Field both took home statues, despite being targets of a blacklist aimed at nominees who opposed the union’s position on a strike authorization. Field may have had this in mind during her acceptance speech, since she made a point to mention her 45 years as an actor, her stepfather’s and mother’s careers as actors, and, indeed, her stepfather’s service on the SAG board back when Ronald Reagan was president (of the Guild, not of the country).

SAG’s current president, Alan Rosenberg, touched on union politics too—but not SAG politics—saying that “We look forward to the day when all workers have a free choice to join a union.” That’s an allusion to the Employee Free Choice Act—proposed legislation that would make it easier to unionize.

At the end of the ceremony came the big awards, for motion picture cast (Slumdog Millionaire):

... male lead, Sean Penn (Milk), who looked like he wished he were somewhere else:

... and female lead, Meryl Streep (Doubt), who chatted on the phone with someone who was somewhere else:

The evening ended with the obligatory after-party. Notables seen amid the crush included Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins, and SAG National Executive Director Doug Allen.

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15th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® RECIPIENTS

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

SEAN PENN Harvey Milk "MILK" Focus Features

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

MERYL STREEP Sister Aloysius Beauvier "DOUBT" Miramax Films

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

HEATH LEDGER Joker "THE DARK KNIGHT" Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

KATE WINSLET Hanna Schmitz "THE READER" The Weinstein Company

Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Motion Picture

"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" Fox Searchlight Pictures

RUBINA ALI Youngest Latika
TANAY HEMANT CHHEDA Middle Jamal
ASHUTOSH LOBO GAJIWALA Middle Salim
AZHARUDDIN MOHAMMED ISMAIL Youngest Salim
ANIL KAPOOR Prem
IRRFAN KHAN Police Inspector
AYUSH MAHESH KHEDEKAR Youngest Jamal
TANVI GANESH LONKAR Middle Latika
MADHUR MITTAL Oldest Salim
DEV PATEL Older Jamal
FREIDA PINTO Older Latika

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

PAUL GIAMATTI John Adams "JOHN ADAMS" HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

LAURA LINNEY Abigail Adams "JOHN ADAMS" HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

HUGH LAURIE Gregory House "HOUSE" FOX

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

SALLY FIELD Nora Walker "BROTHERS & SISTERS" ABC

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

ALEC BALDWIN Jack Donaghy "30 ROCK" NBC

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

TINA FEY Liz Lemon "30 ROCK" NBC

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

"MAD MEN " AMC

BRYAN BATT Salvatore Romano
ALISON BRIE Trudy Campbell
MICHAEL GLADIS Paul Kinsey
JON HAMM Don Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS Joan Holloway
JANUARY JONES Betty Draper
VINCENT KARTHEISER Pete Campbell
MARK MOSES Herman “Duck” Phillips
ELISABETH MOSS Peggy Olson
JOHN SLATTERY Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER Harry Crane
AARON STATON Ken Cosgrove

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

"30 ROCK" NBC

SCOTT ADSIT Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN Cerie
TINA FEY Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI Jenna Maroney
JACK McBRAYER Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN Tracy Jordan
MAULIK PANCHOLY Jonathan
KEITH POWELL Toofer

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

"THE DARK KNIGHT" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

WADE ALLEN

RICK AVERY
DEAN BAILEY
RICHARD BURDEN
FRANK CALZAVARA
MARK CHADWICK
BRIAN CHRISTENSEN
GEORGE COTTLE
TOBIASZ DASKIEWICZ
JUSTO DIEGUEZ
MARIE FINK
JEAN-PIERRE GOY
MARK HARPER
ADAM HART
JAMES HEISNER
SY HOLLANDS
TERRY JACKSON
PAUL JENNINGS
LUKE KEARNEY
MATT LeFEVOUR
RICK LeFEVOUR
TOM LOWELL
TONY LUCKEN
DANIEL MALDONADO
JON MALDONADO
JAMES MAMMOSER
KEVIN MATHEWS
TOM McCOMAS
TIM McHENRY
NATALIE M. MEYER
RICK MILLER
MARK MOTTRAM
CHRIS NOLTE
ANDY NORMAN
CARL PAOLI
LINDA PERLIN
BRIAN PETERS
SCOTT PHILYAW
BUSTER REEVES
KEN REMER
RICHARD RYAN
JEFF SHANNON
KEVIN SORENSEN
JODI STARNES
TOM STRUTHERS
TODD ROGERS TERRY
JIM WILKEY
RICH WILKIE

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

"HEROES" (NBC)

ROBERT ALONZO
HEATHER ARTHUR
ALLISON CAETANO
CHRIS CARNEL
DANE FARWELL
TIM GILBERT
TROY GILBERT
RYAN JAMES HAPPY
CHRIS HOWELL
HORACE KNIGHT
WILL LEONG
JIM LEWIS
RICK MARCUS
AUSTIN PRIESTER
SIMON RHEE
MARK RICCARDI
PAT ROMANO
SPIKE SILVER
LEE SMITH
ERIK STABENAU
NANCY THURSTON
XUYEN “SAMMY” VALDIVIA
MARK WAGNER
MARCUS YOUNG

Screen Actors Guild Awards 45th Annual Life Achievement Award

James Earl Jones

Inside the SAG Boardroom

Sources from inside SAG’s marathon board meeting blasted Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg as a “corrupt and dirty chair,” asserting that he and his Membership First allies repeatedly abused parliamentary rules throughout the “surreal” 28-hour national board meeting earlier this week in order to suppress the SAG board’s moderate majority.

In support of their contentions, the approximately 10 sources—including board members from across the country—described a previously-unreported litany of Membership First’s alleged delaying tactics, and provided a detailed chronology of the meeting. The sources requested anonymity due to the possibly-confidential nature of the meeting and fear of retaliation. I sought comment from Rosenberg, SAG, and others, but 1st VP Anne-Marie Johnson responded in an email that SAG, its staff, officers and board members would not comment.

As a result of the alleged abuse, the board meeting ended Tuesday afternoon with no substantive action taken on any agenda item. In particular, no vote was ever taken on the moderates’ so-called omnibus motion that would have fired SAG National Executive Director Doug Allen (not just removed him as chief negotiator, as has been reported elsewhere), replaced the negotiating committee, and reopened negotiations with the AMPTP. The move to fire Allen led Rosenberg to step down from the chair temporarily to deliver an obscenity-laced response:

You want a fucking civil war in this union? You do this, you will get a fucking civil war. I’ll lead it.

Instead of a vote on the omnibus motion, no fewer than 26 separate votes took place on procedural motions, during which Membership First members allegedly spoke well in excess of their allotted 3-4 minutes each, sometimes speaking against their own motions so as to delay proceedings.

When challenged during the meeting regarding the lengthy speeches, Rosenberg, sitting as the chair of the meeting, allegedly contended that “the clock is broken” or that he was “not sure how to run it”—referring to the clock intended for timing member speeches and limiting them to the prescribed lengths. However, the clock was declared functional again when the moderates spoke, according to the sources. Rosenberg also allegedly asserted on one or more occasions that there were problems with the voting equipment, necessitating 10-15 minute searches for Guild staff to provide assistance, a source of further delay.

Membership First members were allegedly allowed to speak well in excess of prescribed limits, with one member holding onto the mic for 17 minutes in the guise of a question. Sometimes, the same question would be asked repeatedly, sometimes by the same person. Other times, people would speak briefly, then stand silently at the mic for several minutes. Rosenberg, the sources said, would frequently interject to express agreement with concerns the Membership First members raised, violating the neutrality that the moderates said was the chair’s duty. He would also himself speak “interminably” from the chair.

Over-long statements from the floor by Membership First members were frequently allowed under the guise that they were questions, sources said. Extended questions were allegedly allowed by Rosenberg even where the motion on the floor was not supposed to be subject to debate under the applicable rules. According to the sources, Membership First members frequently shouted “point of order” or “point of information,” delaying proceedings with what moderates described as frivolous speeches and extended questions.

One result of these factors was that the board members held a debate on a motion to extend the Monday session of the meeting by 3 hours, but the vote on this motion didn’t come until 8 hours after the original 10:00 p.m. adjournment time had passed.

The moderates described repeatedly objecting to Membership First’s tactics to no avail, as Rosenberg swatted away their objections, even ignoring the contrary advice of SAG’s in-house and outside counsel, who were present during parts of the meeting (most of the rest of the staff, including Doug Allen, were not present for most of the meeting). Indeed, on one occasion, Rosenberg told the attorneys—SAG’s own lawyers—that they were “liars,” said one source. On another occasion, he allegedly told them “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Referring to the extended delay and tactics viewed by the moderates as obstructionist, Rosenberg allegedly answered: “You might as well give up now. This is what you can expect for the next two years. Count on it!” He made comments to this effect on multiple occasions, said the sources. Sources added that Rosenberg repeatedly threatened to have some of the moderates evicted, even calling for the on-site security guard to add muscle to his threat.

Another Membership First member, when asked by a moderate if the purpose of the parliamentary maneuvering was to waste time until the meeting was set to adjourn, sneered in agreement: “You understand that then, don’t you?” he allegedly said.

Among the many motions allegedly introduced by Membership First were multiple motions to adjourn the meeting. These were introduced even though no substantive business had been conducted and many board members had been flown in from around the country, and lodged in hotels, at Guild expense.

Another occurrence, according to the sources and as reported by other media outlets, was a voting irregularity committed on Tuesday by several Membership First members. This involved one member attempting to vote on behalf of three or four other members (media reports to date have only reported two), which is described by the sources as a violation of SAG rules. When one of the participants in the alleged irregularity was confronted, she responded in part with a bizarre discussion of her personal biography, according to a source:

My father was a veterinarian. I used to go all over the South with him. I know poverty. I’ve seen kids without clothes. I’m an ordained minister. I’m about helping people.

The hurdles for the moderates were that they faced, in their description, a highly biased chair, and that they had only a simple majority (i.e., more than 50%) of votes on the Board, but not the 2/3 (i.e., 66.67%) supermajority apparently necessary to close off debate and force a vote on the omnibus motion. They won many motions by about a 55% majority, but since they did not control 2/3 of the board votes, they were unable to muster 2/3, although they came within less than one-quarter percent of that figure in one case.

The sources decried Rosenberg’s conduct as “egregious,” “abominable,” “belligerent,” “threatening,” “abusive,” “intimidation,” “reprehensible,” “partisan,” “not even-handed, not fair,” “not neutral,” “hostile,” “despicable,” “malfeasance,” and “intended to slow the meeting down.”

The sources who used the term “corrupt chair” and “dirty chair” acknowledged that these descriptions of Rosenberg were not in any way meant to imply that he was financially corrupt, and no source suggested that he was.

Full disclosure: I have previously blogged very critically about Membership First and its positions. I do agree with a few of its positions on the SAG contract, although not on their approach to the key 3 positions (2 re new media and one re DVD residuals). I have previously blogged both approvingly and critically about the moderates and their positions, although more often approvingly.

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Here’s a reconstruction, in outline, of the meeting, based on information supplied by the above sources. Motions were often introduced one after the other, leading to several, stacked motions pending at any given time, with voting on older motions deferred, while newer motions were debated.

In all, 26 separate votes were held on various motions. Debate was lengthy, because of the tactics described above. Other motions were made and withdrawn without a vote. The omnibus motion never reached a vote.

In the reconstruction below, the actual voting is identified as vote #1, #2, etc., through vote #26. The timestamps below are my best reconstructions. They are difficult to assign, because the debate apparently jumped around, and different sources had somewhat different recollections, making a precise and linear presentation difficult. In some cases, I do not know the results of the votes, and have accordingly omitted them.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Approx. 9:00 or 9:30 a.m.:

Meeting starts.

1. Meeting rules are discussed.

Mon. 11:00 a.m.

2. Moderates move to go into executive session. Motion gets debated but not voted on.

Mon. 1:00 p.m.

3. Membership First makes multiple motions to adjourn the meeting—i.e., end the meeting altogether, even though it has only started a few hours earlier, people have flown in from around the country, and nothing has been accomplished. Motion is debated, and defeated (vote #1). Note: Some sources recall the first of these motions as being at 5:00 or 6:00 p.m., rather than 1:00 p.m.

4. A recess is called.

5. Membership First moves that the motion for an executive session is out of order. Motion is debated, and defeated (vote #2).

6. Membership First moves to set the executive session at a time certain (i.e., to delay it, by not having it happen immediately). Motion is debated, and defeated (vote #3).

7. Membership First again moves to set the executive session at a time certain, even though the identical motion had just been defeated. Motion is debated, and again defeated (vote #4).

Mon. late afternoon / early evening:

8. Motion to go into executive session is finally voted on (vote #5). It passes. All told, the debate on motions regarding executive session has consumed at least 4 hours.

9. Rosenberg then declares that the motion to go into executive session is out of order, even though it has already passed.

10. Moderates challenge the decision of the chair. Rosenberg replies that, ok, now everyone who wishes to can speak to the issue. Twenty-two separate Membership First board members speak. Debate lasts about 3-1/2 hours.

11. The challenge to the chair is sustained (vote #6), i.e., the moderates prevail.

Mon. 11:00 p.m.

12. A motion to close debate is made. The motion is debated (18 Membership First members speak on the motion), and voted on (vote #7). It receives a majority, but not a 2/3 majority, and therefore fails.

Tues. 12:25 a.m.

13. Another motion to close debate is made. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #8). It receives a majority, but not a 2/3 majority, and therefore fails.

14. Rosenberg rules that it will take a 2/3 vote to extend the meeting past 10:00 p.m. At the time of the ruling, it is already more than 2 hours after 10:00 p.m. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #9).

15. A motion is made that the meeting run continuously through 1:00 p.m. the next day. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #10)

16. Membership First moves to recess the meeting. The motion is debated, voted on, and defeated (vote #11).

Tues. approx. 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.

17. A motion is made to end debate. The motion is debated, and voted on (vote #12).

18. Another motion is made to end debate. The motion is debated, and voted on (vote #13).

19. A substitute motion is now on the floor that refers to extending the meeting to 1:00 p.m. The motion was originally introduced on Monday, and it was understand that the reference to “1:00 p.m.” meant Tuesday afternoon. However, it is now Tuesday early a.m., and an argument ensues as to whether the substitute motion would now mean that meeting would go on until Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.

20. Accordingly, a motion is introduced to amend the substitute motion by adding the words “Tuesday, January 13” to the proposed ending time. Ten Membership First members speak to the motion. The motion is voted on, and passes (vote #14).

21. However, during the voting, a moderate member notices a Membership First member (call him/her “MF1”) holding three electronic voting devices. Each board member is supposed to use only his or her own such device. Realizing that two other Membership First members (“MF2” and “MF3”) are absent, but that their votes are nonetheless displayed on-screen, the moderate shouts out words to the effect “MF1 is voting for MF2 and MF3!” It is later discovered that MF1 has voted on behalf of a third absent Membership First member (who apparently did not know this had happened) and perhaps a fourth.

22. Screaming and yelling ensue. Rosenberg pounds his gavel. MF2 and MF3 reenter the boardroom from a side room or area where at least one them has been sleeping. Rosenberg questions MF1. MF2 and MF3 also speak.

23. Moderates move to throw MF1, MF2 and MF3 out of the meeting. They later withdraw the motion, realizing that debate on it would be a further source of delay.

24. There is a challenge to the chair to stop MF1, MF2 and MF3 from voting, later withdrawn.

25. Rosenberg punishes MF2 and MF3 (and perhaps MF1 – unclear to me) by directing that their votes on the specific pending motion not be counted.

26. There is a motion to sustain the punishment imposed by the chair. Membership First member(s) object, even though the chair (Rosenberg) is himself a member of Membership First. Thus, the motion is debated. Most Membership First members speak in favor of it, even though Membership First member(s) had objected to it. It passes by a vote of approximately 94% to 6%, suggesting that the debate was an empty exercise (vote #15).

27. A motion is made to table the motion to extend the meeting to 1:00 p.m. The motion is debated, then voted on (vote #16). Moderates prevail, by 66.55% to 33.45%.

Tues. approx. 6:00 a.m.

28. Moderates make a motion to extend meeting from 10:00 p.m. the previous night (i.e., 8 hours ago) to 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. Motion is debated, and passes (vote #17).

29. Membership First makes a motion that the motion to table the motion to extend the meeting was out of order—despite the fact that the motion was already passed (two motions ago). The motion is debated, voted on (vote #18) and defeated.

Tues. 7:00 a.m.

30. Membership First makes a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion is debated, then voted on (vote #19), and defeated.

UPDATE (POSSIBLY ERRONEOUS TIMESTAMP DELETED)

31. Moderates are finally able to introduce the omnibus motion to fire SAG National Executive Director Doug Allen, replace the negotiating committee, and reopen negotiations. However, the motion is not voted on.

32. Membership First makes a motion to publicly report (on the SAG website and magazine) the votes on the omnibus motion. The moderates say they agree with the motion. Membership First members then proceed to debate their own motion, despite the general agreement on it. It passes by a vote of 94.69% to 5.31%, suggesting that the debate was an empty exercise (vote #20).

33. Membership First makes a motion to leave (i.e., remove) confidentiality of executive session and invite Doug Allen back in the room. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #21).

34. A motion is made to deny consideration. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #22).

35. Membership First makes another motion to leave confidentiality of executive session and invite Doug Allen back in the room. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #23).

36. Membership First makes a motion to separate the main motion (i.e., the omnibus motion). The motion is debated and voted on (vote #24).

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37. Membership First again makes a motion to separate the main motion. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #25).

38. Membership First yet again makes a motion to separate the main motion. The motion is debated and voted on (vote #26).

Tues. approx. 11:00 a.m.

39. The omnibus motion is now on the table for discussion, but only two hours remain until scheduled adjournment. The motion is debated extensively. However, it is never voted on.

Tues. 12:40 p.m.

40. Moderates make a motion to extend the meeting to 2:00 p.m. However, the motion is never voted on.

Tues. approx. 1:25

41. The meeting is adjourned. No substantive action has been taken, according to the moderates and according to a SAG press release.