Season’s Greetings, One and All!
I hope this message finds you and yours safe and warm and enjoying the holidays as we approach the new year. As we put the final touches on 2022, I’d like to share several exciting new developments that will positively impact our local and its members.
You should have received notice by now, but I’d like to once again ask you to join me in welcoming our new DFW Local Executive Director Tom Schwarz. Based in our DFW office, Tom will be serving as local exec for both DFW and our brothers and sisters in the Houston-Austin Local, so he will be covering all of Texas as well as Arkansas and Oklahoma on behalf of our members. Tom’s extensive background in union and political work, coupled with his many years of union experience in Texas, will be an incredible asset for us moving forward, and I believe I speak for our entire board in saying we are absolutely thrilled to have him!
I’m also very happy to announce that we have appointed a new board member to fill the vacant position left by Delores Wheeler, who recently relocated to the Chicago Local to be closer to family. Margaret Sanchez of Dallas was unanimously appointed by the Board at our Dec. 8 meeting. Margaret has been an active union member for years and brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to this position. Please join me in welcoming Margaret to our SAG-AFTRA DFW Local Board.
There is great news regarding expanded availability of health care benefits for seniors. Earlier this month, it was announced that SAG-AFTRA, in partnership with the AFL-CIO, is offering new SAG-AFTRA Senior Benefit Plans for all Medicare-eligible members and their Medicare-eligible spouses/partners — including an option with a $0 premium. Any Medicare-eligible SAG-AFTRA members (regardless of earnings) can enroll at any time. Visit our website for details.
On Jan. 12, we will hold a joint wages and working conditions (W&Ws) meeting with the Houston-Austin Local for the upcoming TV/Theatrical Contract negotiations. Details and meeting dates are available at sagaftra.org/2023ww. Thank you to those who have already participated. There is still time to voice your thoughts on how the contracts are working for you, or not, and the changes you want to see. Please join a meeting or submit proposal recommendations by email to tvtheatrical2023@sagaftra.org no later than Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. Remember, the W&W process is your opportunity to make YOUR VOICE heard — don’t miss out!
It’s been a long time coming, but thanks to extensive efforts by SAG-AFTRA on behalf of our members, we have finally reached an agreement with IMDb (the Internet Movie Database) to allow any professional performer control over how their birthday and geographic information is represented on their website. This is a key breakthrough after over a decade of lobbying by SAG-AFTRA to convince IMDb to do what’s right in the battle against ageism in our industry. Congrats to SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and countless elected leaders all over the country for working so diligently to bring this fight for member privacy rights to a successful conclusion. Details on how to claim your IMDb page and modify your information can be found here.
Finally, I am thrilled to report that all SAG-AFTRA offices, including the Dallas-Fort Worth office, will begin the process of opening back up on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. In the current issue of SAG-AFTRA magazine, National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland reports, “The return to office will be an orderly and phased-in process.” In order to do things right, please remember that we’re turning on the faucet, not unleashing a waterfall. I thank you in advance for your patience as we get in-person activity up and running. We will notify you as specific on-site programs and events are able to resume.
With that, I wish you all the very happiest of holidays, and a very peaceful and prosperous new year!
Sincerely,
Brent Anderson
Dallas-Fort Worth Local President
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