A Message From Your Los Angeles Local President

Two union stalwarts who have contributed so much of their life’s energy and passion for doing the right thing in service to our members have passed.

Last week, we lost a good friend, fellow union leader and former SAG Pension & Health Trustee Robert "Bob" Carlson. Bob joined AFTRA in the summer of 1957 and would go on to join Screen Actors Guild seven years later. An accomplished stunt driver, he represented the stunt community honorably for over 25 years. From 1987–2006, Bob served in various roles as a national officer of Screen Actors Guild, from 9th vice president to National Board member to board member of SAG’s Hollywood Division. Bob served on national committees: Stunt and Safety, Commercial Performers, Union Governance Review, Elections and multiple years on the Commercials Contracts negotiating committees. He lent his experience and knowledge of the industry, giving back to the community that was most important to him: union members. We are forever grateful for his service and send sincere condolences to his family.

In August, our beloved Ed Asner passed away. I met Ed back in 1981, when he narrated Americas in Transition by an unknown filmmaker friend that received an Academy Award nomination. I always reminded him of that and our joke often was, “What was your name again?”

Ed spent decades of his life in service to our community of performers as well as being a champion for victims of poverty, violence, war, and legal and social injustice. Ed joined AFTRA in 1954 and SAG in 1955. He served as Screen Actors Guild president from 1981–1985 and for decades after on the National, Hollywood and, later, Los Angeles Local boards. His presence on picket lines is legendary, and I will truly miss him in our boardrooms, our Zoom rooms and also, with a twinkle in his eye, asking me, “What’s your name again?"  

To learn more about Ed Asner’s work, please visit our website, https://www.sagaftra.org/edward-asner and https://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-mourns-passing-former-sag-president-ed-asner.

OTHER NEWS:
Many thanks to all who signed up to join our Los Angeles Local committees. The appointed chairs are in the process of selecting committee members, which will be approved Nov. 15 by the Los Angeles Local Board. Please know that there was an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm and submissions! If you are not selected this time around, we hope to find opportunities for some of you to volunteer for events once we get back into the building.

The Commercials W&W process is currently underway. If you work this contract, now’s the time to get involved and have your voice be heard. Member involvement is integral to the negotiation process.

To sign up for Los Angeles W&W meetings, click here.
To sign up for National W&W meetings, click here.

Lastly, please be aware the National Executive Committee has approved an extension of our COVID-19 dues relief program. We hope this helps those in need. For more information, click here.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving full of grace.



With gratitude,

Jodi Long
Los Angeles Local President