VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Rick Riley · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:52 pm Post subject: SAGTRA?

A Friend of mine sits on the board of AFTRA. He just passed this along...

http://www.aftra.com/DAE3DB4F4EFF4DD2994DA229CA795A53.htm
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Deirdre · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject:

It will be interesting to see what happens next. I am optimistic, but cautious.
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Lee Gordon · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:32 am Post subject:

For those of us who are in just one of the two unions, I imagine there could be a bit of sticker shock the next time the dues invoice arrives.
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Rick Riley · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:58 pm Post subject:

My friend shall remain anonymous, but since he made a request in a particular paragraph of an email to me, I'll quote both that and the preceding paragraph to give you his take and history of the merger. Keep in mind he has sat on the board of AFTRA for a number of years. And he says...

"I‘ve been involved in 3 of these efforts. One in 1998, again in 2003, and now this one. The process to get to the point where we are now has been so much better and so much more member driven than the previous efforts, that this has the best chance (and I’d argue the last chance) to succeed. I fear if somehow this effort fails (an extreme contingent in Hollywood blew it up last time causing us to fall short of the threshold by 1%), neither union will survive in the long run.

Anyway, I request that you advise anyone you know who is a member of either union to vote in favor of the merger. The alternative is just not anyone wants to consider, and if these unions go under, all the non-union rates will plummet."

And that's the news...
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melissa eX · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:24 am Post subject:

He's right. There will never be a "perfect" merger. Just like there isn't a perfect anything - but it IS the best chance for survival for both unions. And the situation as it is now is far from perfect and will only get worse if there is no merger. If it doesn't pass this time I'm afraid there won't be another chance. It was SO close last time - and the industry is still feeling the effects of that loss - and the online world hadn't yet taken hold back then. It's a different world now.

And any non-union talent who thinks this has nothing to do with them or doesn't affect them should sit down and think long and hard. Union terms are the barometer around which everyone strives to work, union or not. If that barometer is taken away, it'll all be in free fall.

Rick Riley · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:54 am Post subject: