The BBH Strike – Why It Matters to Portland

By now, you’ve probably heard that, after working under the SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contracts for nearly 20 years, advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) has announced that it is illegally abandoning its responsibilities as a SAG-AFTRA signatory by shooting non-union commercials. In response to this, SAG-AFTRA’s National Board voted unanimously to declare a strike against the agency.

As actions such as pickets in Los Angeles and bake sales in New York take place, some Portland members have asked what effect the BBH strike has on them here in the Pacific Northwest.

To begin with, while BBH has offices in Los Angeles and New York, it is a national agency that produces ads across the United States. While BBH hasn’t shot any ads in the Portland Local’s jurisdiction yet, the agency could decide to shoot in our region as the strike wears on and talent becomes unavailable to it in other markets. Portland members need to stay informed about the strike so they can stand in solidarity with their union if they’re approached to work on a commercial for BBH here in this region. And, if you see a casting notice for a BBH ad, forward it to adsgounion@sagaftra.org right away.

The larger issue to those of us in the Portland Local, beyond the possibility that BBH might choose to shoot its non-union ads here, is that our members are well aware that the amount of non-union commercial work in Portland and around the country has grown in recent years. Though SAG-AFTRA has made steady progress in changing that with our #AdsGoUnion campaign, it’s a challenging and important battle, and the results of this strike are important to our union’s ability to ensure fair pay and safe working conditions for performers on commercial sets. We can’t allow BBH to walk away from its responsibilities as a SAG-AFTRA signatory.

As SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said in her message to members when she announced the BBH strike, “This is where we take a stand.” This is our opportunity, Portland members, to stand with our fellow SAG-AFTRA members nationwide to say that our work is worth a living wage and safety in our workplaces. Stay up to date on the strike at and spread the word to all your colleagues — union and non-union — that your union is fighting to make sure actors are paid fairly for the work they do in commercials here in Portland and across the country.