Dear Member,
I hope that everyone in Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, is enjoying this mid-February thaw. It reminds us that spring is not too far off. As you hopefully know, we will be hosting our first SAG Awards in-person viewing party on Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Maple Theatre, located on Maple just west of Telegraph in Bloomfield Township. We will be having a pre-show reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. with appetizers and an opportunity to mingle with fellow members and industry guests.
We are hoping to use the reception as a call to action on two fronts. Our state is poised to potentially overturn so-called “right to work,” which has been in effect since 2013. We are excited to do our part to help strengthen workers’ rights in Michigan! Whether you are a broadcaster or an actor, repealing “right to work” will be good for us all. Second, the push to bring back film incentives is in full force. We have new representatives in the House and Senate in Lansing, and we must make our voices heard to let them know that film incentives mean jobs for Michigan residents. At the reception, we will be giving you easy ways to connect with your representatives in Lansing to spread the word on the importance of this legislation becoming law in 2023!
Let’s have some fun reconnecting with each other in person from 6:30-8 p.m. and then settle into our movie theater seats to watch the SAG Awards beginning at 8 pm. What a great evening of fellowship, union activism and celebration of the performances of our fellow union brothers and sisters! My hope is that in the not-too-distant future, we will be watching actors in Michigan-made films and television series nominated for SAG Awards. Please join us on Feb. 26 to help make that happen!
You must RSVP to attend at the following link:
sagaftra.org/michigan-local-sag-awards-party
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in person on Feb. 26. If you can't attend in person, be sure to watch the broadcast live on youtube.com/netflix!
In unity,
Eric Wydra
Michigan Local President