A Letter From Your NY President

Dear Member,

There continues to be major positive developments for our industry in the Greater New York City area, including New Jersey and Connecticut, and SAG-AFTRA continues to play a significant role in these developments as a champion for labor in all sections of our region. It is our undying belief in unionism and that union labor makes our industry work. 

With that in mind, we invite you to join us for the annual New York City Labor Day Parade and March taking place on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. Back for the first time since the pandemic shutdown, it’s labor’s biggest event in the country. Let’s show up and raise our voices with our union siblings and celebrate the power of the worker. 

We also celebrate the workplace advances made possible by our collective bargaining. The SAG-AFTRA National Board just overwhelmingly approved a successor agreement with Netflix. This agreement includes historic, industry-shifting changes in options and exclusivity rules for actors, the groundbreaking addition of a new background zone, contract improvements for stunt coordinators and dubbing artists, and a significant expansion of SAG-AFTRA’S coverage for Spanish-language dubbing. The contract is now out to members, and the National Board encourages you to vote YES! You can read more about the deal and get information about upcoming member informational meetings here. 

Finally, I know many of us, especially in New York City, are concerned about the growing number of monkeypox cases in our area. If you have questions or concerns, a list of resources is available on the NYC Department of Health website. 

Forward together,

Ezra Knight
New York Local President