A Letter From Your Houston-Austin Local President

Dear Houston-Austin Local Membets,

Happy almost fall, y’all!
 
Who else is dreaming of cooler sweater weather? 
 
I want to start my letter by congratulating our recently appointed Houston-Austin Local 1st Vice President Avery White and 2nd Vice President CeeJay Joseph. I am thrilled to have these two hardworking members leading our local to new levels of success in the coming years. A special thank-you goes out to our former 1st VP Liz R. Graham for her over a decade of service to our membership.
 
“Is COVID over yet?” That seems to be the BIG question on our minds these days. And no one is more ready than I am to get back to in-person meetings and events for our local. But until we get the word, it is still online only. Be on the lookout for information on our upcoming conservatory and member outreach Zoom event happening on Sept. 27 and our yearly membership meeting in October. 
 
Our COVID Return to Work Agreement is still in effect on all sets until it is reviewed by Sept. 30, so please continue to be safe on sets by wearing your mask.
 
I want to thank everyone who voted to ratify our new Netflix Agreement. Congratulations to our background actors who now have background coverage in Albuquerque, New Mexico — the first new background zone in 24 years! The agreement also secures stunt coordinators paid fixed residuals for continued Netflix exhibition of high-budget streaming programs, Spanish dubbing terms which will now match those of our English dubbers, and major improvements to the options and exclusivity rules, which gives series regulars expanded rights to work on other programs when not working for their Netflix series. Your vote has helped the future of our entire membership through significant improvements like these!  
 
In a recent CBS report, unions all across America are on the rise. A new generation of workers — from tech companies like Apple and Google to media organizations like The New York Times and Condé Nast to Starbucks and Amazon — are banding together to advocate for better wages and protection. Last week, Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting content creators petitioned to unionize with us to secure livable, equitable wages for their staff and improve their companies’ approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. When unionizing happens in one state, it happens FOR US ALL! We are stronger when we stand together, especially in a RIGHT-TO-WORK-FOR-LESS state like Texas. 
 
Last month, I attended the Women’s Convention in Houston along with our National Board member and Women’s Committee member Pam Weaver. The opportunity to share stories and space with hundreds of masked women decked out in feminist T-shirts and buttons in the same building was an experience I didn’t know my soul desperately needed in this strangely changing political landscape.

Hundreds from all ages and walks of life gathered to celebrate the simple fact of identifying as WOMEN banding together against the hypocrisy of living in a patriarchal society where our freedom of choice has been taken away for many of us living in red states.
 
With election season just around the corner, I urge you all to please VOTE for those candidates who will help us stand for better gun restriction laws for the safety of our kids and teachers, legislation for tax film incentives and human rights for all.
 
In the echoing words of the first African American elected to the Texas State Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives, Texas’ own Barbara Jordan, “What the people want is very simple. We want an America as good as its promise — that as a nation we live up to our historical promise of equality of opportunity.”   

In solidarity and always looking forward,

Mykle McCoslin
SAG-AFTRA Houston-Austin Local President