Membership Meeting Highlights

N.Y. Co-President Holter Graham speaks to the members.

• New York Local Co-Presidents Holter Graham and Mike Hodge opened the meeting with thoughts about all those affected by Hurricane Sandy: friends, neighbors and fellow union members.

• David White, national executive director and a trustee of the SAG-Producers Pension & Health Plan, was in town for the meeting and gave an update about the proposed merger between SAG Pension & Health and the AFTRA Health & Retirement Plan. Mr. White gave an encouraging report that trustees from both the producers’ side and the union’s side agree that merger is a positive and inevitable step forward.

• Senior Advisor Stephen Burrow expressed his admiration for the extraordinary work of SAG-AFTRA’s broadcasters in covering Hurricane Sandy. Mr. Burrow then presented an overview of the New York Local Constitution, which was approved on Oct. 27, 2012.

• New York Executive Director Jae Je Simmons reported on improvements to infrastructure since the merger, and urged members to honor the legacies of AFTRA and SAG by creating a new legacy of unionism for SAG-AFTRA.

• National Co-President Roberta Reardon reported on the completion of the W&W process for the commercials contracts and advised that negotiations would begin in February.

• Associate Executive Director for Broadcasting Richard Larkin reported that after three years of attempting to organize, SAG-AFTRA was happy to announce that an audiobook contract had been made with Out Loud Audio. Mr. Larkin commented that this was an “excellent contract and we expect a substantial amount of work to come from it.” He added that the contract provides market rates and health and retirement contributions for SAG-AFTRA performers recording audiobooks for the company.

• SAG Foundation Board member Rebecca Damon announced matching donations of $100,000 by both the Foundation and the SAG Motion Picture Players Welfare Fund to The Actors Fund for victims of Hurricane Sandy. Ms. Damon also reported on other Foundation programs and initiatives, including BookPALS and Conversations.

• AFTRA Foundation Board member Roberta Reardon announced that the Foundation had made a donation of $50,000 to The Actors Fund for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

• Co-Chair Janette Gautier reported that the initial appointments of this year’s Open Door Program had to be rescheduled because of the storm, and advised that members could contact newyork@sagaftra.org for information.

• NY Co-President Holter Graham and NY Co-1st Vice President Rebecca Damon announced that beginning in January, classes and programs which had been divided between the Stanley Green Media Training Center and the Alice Mary Riley Conservatory Studio will be consolidated to a single location at the Alice Mary Riley Studio at 360 Madison Avenue.

• Steve Sobotta, director of marketing at the Actors Federal Credit Union, encouraged members to take advantage of the credit union’s many benefits.

• After adjournment, New York Board member Joyce Korbin oversaw the distribution of door prizes to 14 lucky New York members.

This article was originally featured in the December 2012 local e-newsletter.