National Director's Report

Dear SAG-AFTRA San Diego Members,

I hope this message finds you happy, healthy and enjoying all San Diego has to offer this warm summer. Whether it’s walking the sun-drenched beaches or escaping the inland heat by making a trip to our local mountains, San Diego is truly the best place to call home, with one exception: a lack of work in the profession we love.

Runaway production used to mean film and television shot in Canada or other exotic locations far away. Now, it seems to mean filming every place other than California — in recent years, places like Georgia, Louisiana and New Mexico — and now most movies and a high percentage of hit TV shows are being produced in other states. Why? Given our great weather, talent and production network, California should be the natural choice, right? Except for one factor: money. The incentives offered by all these other states far outweigh California’s. Most producers today factor in these incentives when choosing locations for their projects. You can’t really blame them — if the money is there, why not take advantage of it? And I’m not against these states offering bonuses to lure business to their backyards, I’m saying we should do the same. It’s high time California started fighting to keep the same industry we started right here.

While in L.A. for a recent national board beeting, I spent some time with William Bensussen, SAG-AFTRA deputy general counsel, to discuss state Assembly Bill 1839. The bill, The Expanded Film and Television Job Creation Act, was introduced in February by Assembly members Raul Bocanegra and Mike Gatto. This program offers a 20-percent credit for qualified expenses up to $100 million for feature films and television shows (no longer a $75 million cap, so big-budget films are included) and it now adds network television series too. It includes a 25-percent credit for relocated (back to California) television series in year one, plus, and most important to San Diego, a 5-percent bump for productions shot in California outside the L.A. zone.

SAG-AFTRA is a member of the California Film and Production Alliance, an organization of producers, unions and businesses dedicated to promoting film production in California. I am pleased to say our governor recently expressed his intention to sign AB 1839 with annual funding of $330 million, up from the current $100 million. AB 1839 is certainly something we can all feel good about. You can find out more by visiting filmworksca.com.

We find ourselves much stronger these 2½ years post-merger. And although there is still much work to be done, we continue to make progress building this new union — for all performers.

Our period of moderation has paid off also, resulting in gains financially and a strengthened union that remains “easy to work with and hard to fight.” Our membership numbers keep growing and our new joins are increasing beyond projections, proving that more performers wish to be part of SAG-AFTRA.

Locally, our new joins are up, and I would like to personally welcome our brothers and sisters from our local PBS affiliate, KPBS, to SAG-AFTRA.

National Board member Don Ahles, SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Gabrielle Carteris and San Diego Local President Marty Alvillar at the California Labor Federation Convention.

Recently, I had the honor of attending with Local President Marty Alvillar the California Labor Federation Biennial Convention held here in San Diego. Joined by SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Gabrielle Carteris and SAG-AFTRA L.A. Executive Director Ilyanne Morden Kichaven, we participated in this energizing and eye-opening event supporting labor. Although SAG-AFTRA does not endorse or support any political candidates, we do find ourselves strongly tied to matters affecting workers' rights and protections. I found myself up early one morning, along with Gabrielle, marching in support of hotel service workers that were fighting to save their pension and health benefits. It was truly wonderful to see men and women from other unions standing up for the rights of a small group facing big impacts to their livelihoods.

Until we meet again, I thank you for the privilege of serving as your SAG-AFTRA San Diego Local National Board director.

Take care and “keep smiling, San Diego!”

Don Ahles, National Board Director

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