National Board Report

I trust all my union brethren had a safe and happy Labor Day. I represented the Hawaii Local at the National Board Meeting in L.A. in July, where we voted on our first-ever SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts.

The Committee of Locals had six people on the recent TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee, representing the interests of the small and mid-sized locals. We heard a summary of the proposed contract and perused a written version of the proposed contract. David White said the negotiating team was "awesome and inspiring," as was our lead staff. We laid the groundwork for a very strong union going forward. Discussion of the proposed contract and vote ensued. As you've probably heard by now, after lengthy discussion, the national board voted to pass the proposed TV/Theatrical contracts, with 90 percent voting yes. It went out to the membership for approval, where it received a 92 percent yes vote. Well done!

Next up: Network Televsion Code negotiations. This is a legacy AFTRA contract covering daytime TV, sportscasting, promos, etc. Negotiations are scheduled to begin Nov. 3.

Financial Report –  Our audit was basically perfect. Our NED David White explained that overall, expenses are under what we projected and income is higher than projected. This year we are in the black. Excellent financial report.

I will be in L.A. to attend our Oct. 11-12 national board meeting with our Local President David Farmer, and our Local Executive Director Brenda Ching.

This item was originally featured in the October 2014 local newsletter.