We had a nice turnout at our SAG Awards viewing party Feb. 23, 2025, at the James Ballentine “Uptown” VFW. Twin Cities Local members and their guests enjoyed each other’s company and the program, with drinks and delicious tacos from El Jefe Cocina & Bar. Thank you to our Awards Committee co-chairs, Local Board member Veronica Wayne and member Kirstin Gregerson, for your work organizing the event. Details and pictures from the evening can be found here.
Earlier in February, I testified at a Senate Labor Committee informational hearing on the impacts of A.I. on workers. I was one of many representing different work forces affected by this technology. It was an honor to represent SAG-AFTRA members, sharing the protections we have negotiated in some of our contracts, informed consent and fair compensation, while impressing upon the senators that we must continue to fight for those protections for all workers in the face of the ongoing threat and unpredictability of A.I. There was a consensus among those representing workers that Minnesota must put in place legislation to protect workers here, as some states have done and others are working towards.
Looking at legislation already passed, in case you missed it, an article was recently posted that our Local broadcast community should find helpful. The Minnesota Legislature voted in 2023 to ban the use of non-compete clauses from employment contracts. SAG-AFTRA was active in this effort, with one contribution being our Local Organizing Committee co-chair and Government Affairs and Public Policy Subcommittee chair, Mark Bradley, testifying at the capital. This ban on non-competes applies to all workers in all sectors in the state of Minnesota. You can find out how this new law impacts their work here.
In other Local broadcast member news, members at MPR know that broadcaster Jon Collins is away from his beat. Jon was awarded the prestigious Nieman Fellowship and is spending the academic year at Harvard University. MPR News colleague and SAG-AFTRA Local Board member Gretchen Brown spoke with him about this opportunity, where Jon shared, “The Nieman fellowship is one of a handful in the world that allows us to step back and remember why we really were drawn to this job, which is to serve the public’s interest and do work that makes the world better.” Congratulations, Jon on what I’m sure is a profound experience. Excerpts from their conversation can be found here.
Finally, we should soon have a new, permanent deputy director of Explore Minnesota Film. Candidate interviews are taking place in this final step in our effort to create a state film office. Film and episodic production in the U.S. still has yet to find its new normal after recent upheavals in the industry. We are looking forward to working with new leadership at the film office, and their contributions and commitment to returning film production to Minnesota.
In solidarity,
Casey E. Lewis
Twin Cities Local President
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