A Labor Day Message From Your Union

August 29, 2008 Dear Screen Actors Guild Member: As Labor Day approaches, please take a moment to consider the extraordinary contributions of the founders of our Guild who, 75 years ago, put courage and conviction to the test in creating this union. Standing up to studios has never been easy. For our founders in 1933, it was really tough, but strength, unity and commitment to the goal won out and Screen Actors Guild was incorporated June 30, 1933. Within only a few years, Screen Actors Guild had secured its first contract and nearly a century of protections for union actors. While much has changed over the years, some things remain the same: Screen Actors Guild is a powerful voice for working actors and Screen Actors Guild stands up to the studios and networks to fight for what’s fair for actors. This is what Labor Day commemorates — the dedication, commitment and tremendous courage of labor unions and union members throughout history. It is a tribute to our first president, Ralph Morgan and to other guild leaders like former president James Cagney and board member Humphrey Bogart, but Labor Day is also a tribute to you. It is a day set aside to honor all unions, but for us, it is an opportunity to honor SAG and the 120,000 members who reside within it. Our efforts to reach agreement with industry representatives continue and SAG’s negotiators want to hear from you about your thoughts on the TV/Theatrical contract negotiations and Screen Actors Guild’s bargaining priorities. You will be receiving an important publication from SAG over the next several days. This Special Bulletin was mailed to all members across the country this week. The publication contains comprehensive information about our negotiations. Please look for your copy to arrive in your mailbox in the next several days. As you may have heard or read, the Bulletin also includes a post card with which to mail back your response to the material presented. When your Bulletin arrives, please read it carefully and send back your completed response card. Your input is valuable and welcome. Also, remember that the SAG.org website is undergoing some major programming enhancements and will be unavailable for most of the weekend. This code enhancement will improve the speed and reliability of our web communications and most members will experience an improvement in site performance and functionality. We hope you enjoy the holiday and the last, long summer weekend. Make sure you read your Bulletin when it arrives and send us your thoughts on the perforated post card you will find in your publication. Happy Labor Day. In strength and unity, Alan Rosenberg President Connie Stevens Secretary Treasurer Doug Allen National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator