National Board Report

Aloha,

I attended several national committee meetings, in addition to the SAG-AFTRA National Executive Committee meetings on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, the Committee of Locals meeting on Feb. 1, and the National Board meeting on Feb. 2. At the National Board meeting, we approved the 2019 commercials negotiations proposal package in advance of bargaining, scheduled to start on Feb. 20 in New York. The proposals are, of course, confidential. President Gabrielle Carteris will chair the Commercials Contracts Negotiating Committee and National Executive Director David White will serve as chief negotiator. As a matter of longstanding union practice, Negotiating Committee members are not identified.

We also voted overwhelmingly to renew our employment agreement with National Executive Director David White through Feb. 1, 2023.

In other business, we approved two new interactive agreements. The new Low Budget Video Game Agreement and the Interactive Localization Agreement were both created in partnership with video game producers to create more opportunities for SAG-AFTRA members to work in parts of the industry that were previously not organized. The Interactive Localization Agreement was created to reach an area of the industry, foreign video games that are recorded in English, that has historically been non-union. 

We also reviewed administrative, finance and governance matters.

President Carteris applauded the thousands of members who are supporting the #StrikeBBH campaign and recognized the contributions of member J. K. Simmons, who recorded a video supporting the #AdsGoUnion campaign that played at the recent SAG Awards. Carteris also congratulated White on his recent appointment by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco — one of only three union leaders to serve at that level.
White provided a confidential (but positive) report on the recent #StrikeBBH advertising campaign and rally, which drew nearly 1,000 people to a demonstration and march that kicked off at SAG-AFTRA Plaza. White previewed the next strategic and creative phase of the campaign. He also gave a report on several new technology innovations underway, including a briefing on the effort to expand the functionality of SAG-AFTRA’s mobile app and a virtual membership card that employs unique QR codes to track event registration at check-in. 

Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto and Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin reported that both revenue and expenses are tracking according to plan for the second quarter. We approved a Finance Committee recommendation to hold initiation fees at their current rates and to allow an automatic increase in base dues from $214.32 to $218.60 to take effect as per the merger agreement, effective May 1.

In addition to the above, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree-Ireland presented a recommendation regarding the initiation of negotiations for a successor agreement to the Music Video Agreement, which expires April 30, 2019, including a report on the appointment of the chairs for the negotiating committee.

In solidarity,
Scott Rogers
National Board Member