National Board Member Report

By Debra Nelson
National Board Member

The first quarter of 2017 kicked off with a bang, as the SAG-AFTRA National Board overwhelmingly approved a TV/Theatrical contracts negotiations package during the January video plenary. Approving the TV/Theatrical proposal was certainly a top priority, but there have been other exciting activities and changes that will benefit members in big ways.  

The SAG-AFTRA app launched in February. The new app (available for both iPhone and Android) is easy to navigate and will be a very useful tool for members. Practically everything you can do online at SAGAFTRA.org can now be done on the new app: track residuals, find info on local and national news and events, and access contract information from home or on the set. Everything you need to keep a handle on the business part of your careers is now at your fingertips.

Last, but certainly not least, I'm happy to bring you more good news that has been in the works for some time now: Direct deposit has finally arrived! While residuals processing has steadily improved over recent years, going from an average of 100 days or more down to under 30 days, we have long recognized that more needed to be done. Direct deposit will especially reduce the cost of processing those small residual checks that are often less than the cost of postage. Members will still receive some paper checks as the direct deposit system is rolled out and SAG-AFTRA works with more studios to get them on board. 

I look forward to continuing to serve on your behalf as a voice in the National Board and to announcing many more benefits of membership in the months to come.