A Letter from the DFW Local President

Dear Fellow Members,

Summer is here! So, in the spirit of new beginnings, I wanted to share with you some of the things your union is doing to increase work opportunities for our membership.

Along with other locals around the country, we recently negotiated new regional codes for commercials that are made and played in our mid- and small-sized markets. Our Texas Regional Code, which was created in partnership with members, producers, agents and casting directors, specifically addresses the needs of local advertisers. It’s an incredibly flexible and easy-to-use contract, and it’s already turning jobs union thanks to local members. Your local staff are holding meetings with members both in person and via Zoom videoconferencing to demonstrate the contract’s simplicity, as well as methods members can use to get their agents and potential employers onboard. I urge you to reach out to our local executive director, Trish Avery, for more information and to sign up for the next informational session.

I also recommend that you log on to the SAG-AFTRA website to check out the news and updates on the Commercials Organizing & Recapture Initiative. The growth of non-union commercial work is impacting member livelihoods not just in Texas, but in every local from New York to Los Angeles. Your union is actively working to reverse this trend, but we need your help. Check out the link above for ways you can get involved and take an active role in shifting commercial work back where it belongs: under union contracts.

Speaking of the website, stay tuned for exciting changes coming your way, as an overhaul of sagaftra.org is already in progress. I don’t want to give away any of the details, but just know that your union is working to create the best member experience possible using feedback from members all over the country. 

And, if you haven’t yet, please make sure you download and use the SAG-AFTRA member app for your mobile device. With a host of valuable features, ranging from tracking residuals to updated news and production listings, the member app offers an incredibly useful career tool right at your fingertips.

So many aspects of our business are out of our control — but I hope it’s reassuring to know that the tools offered by SAG-AFTRA are available for you to use anytime to help further your career. You have more power than you know — you just have to use it!

Until next time, in solidarity,

Brent Anderson
SAG-AFTRA Dallas-Fort Worth Local President