Dear Member,
As New York looks forward to the blossoming of spring, and with it, the sense of renewal and growth, I wish you all well. I invite that same spirit of growth and renewal in your involvement with your union as well.
SAG-AFTRA is conducting national and local wages and working (W&W) conditions meetings in preparation for the 2024 SAG-AFTRA Network Television Code Contract negotiations. Members working these contracts are encouraged to attend a meeting. If you cannot attend a W&W meeting, please let your voice be heard. You may submit proposal recommendations by email at networkcode2024@sagaftra.org. Recommendations must be received by Thursday, April 11.
The New York NextGen Performers are hosting a meet and greet this Friday, April 12. RSVP today and come get to know your fellow New York Local GenZ/Millennial members.
Please join us on Monday, May 13 for the 2024 New York Local Membership Meeting. Come learn about all that has been going on at SAG-AFTRA. I hope to see you there.
Finally, a somber moment of remembrance. On March 31 we lost our dear friend and New York Local Board member leslie Shreve. leslie…the little “L” belies the enormity and depth of her passion for labor and unionism. For over four decades leslie served the members of SAG-AFTRA, where she was a champion for women’s equity in the industry. She was a committed advocate for the merger of SAG and AFTRA and worked to bring the cultures of both organizations together. As chair of the Women’s Committee, diversity, equity and inclusion were not just an idea for her, but a worthy cause undertaken for all underrepresented groups. In that capacity she was one of the founding members of the Diversity Advisory Committee. Even while battling her illness she still remained on the frontline of the fight for women’s issues and worked extensively to promote pay equity. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, she worked with staff to reinforce SAG-AFTRA’s work with Governor Hochul and the legislature to protect reproductive rights in New York State. Her joy and energy filled every space she was in, from rallies to boardrooms to screening rooms and everywhere in between. She’s been an inspiration to so many and it was an honor and a pleasure to serve alongside her on the New York Local Board. We will be forever indebted and grateful for her contributions to the mission of our union. In her parting message leslie said, “So, to you friends ... I wish each of you to notice the magic in your life ... I send you love.”
Forward together,
Ezra Knight
New York Local President