About Our Local - Portland

The Communications Committee works with the Local Board and staff to coordinate forward-facing communications from the local to members, potential members and the industry at large. The Committee’s work includes formulating the local’s messaging and producing written communications, social media posts, graphics and multimedia.

Our “work” (it’s actually fun!) will range from designing “barn raising” events — where we meet as family to help a member with yard work, grocery shopping or other tasks they’re having trouble with — to responding to union members in other locals facing catastrophes to putting on karaoke nights just for the heck of it.

The mission of the Conservatory Committee is to provide professional training and industry networking that can raise the level of professionalism in the local by providing unique and relevant education workshops and seminars.

The Events Committee is responsible for coordinating logistics related to all SAG-AFTRA Portland events. This includes everything from securing venues to coordinating food and beverage to rentals, to other details that may rise. 

The Film Festival Committee is responsible for creating partnerships between the Portland Local and film festivals taking place within our region.

The mission of the Helping Hands Committee is to educate members on the many benefits SAG-AFTRA has to offer, find new ways to enrich the lives of our local members and reach out to members in need of aid. There is so much SAG AFTRA can do to improve each members’ quality of life. Helping Hands is dedicated to making sure all members have access to tools that will help them succeed. 

The Legislative and Labor Committee works with labor and industry organizations within the Portland Local’s jurisdiction to build solidarity, advocate for issues important to SAG-AFTRA members and support legislation that will help SAG-AFTRA members within our region.

The Local Organizing Committee lobbies and educates to help strengthen and encourage current and future union brothers and sisters within the local. Starting with an events calendar of union or union-related events, the Committee works to promote and curate educational workshops and seminars. Examples of previous events the Organizing Committee has helped curate or been a part of are contract workshops, stunt and safety workshops and panel discussions at film festivals.

The Portland NextGen Committee serves to connect, educate, and energize our young local and emerging performers. By providing networking and workshop opportunities, the NextGen Committee enables young SAG-AFTRA members to grow their businesses and artistry within a supportive community, as well as reinforce the needs and benefits of SAG-AFTRA.

This “committee of the whole” comes together to consider requests for reinstatement by former SAG-AFTRA members, generally as part of the regular order of business in Local Board meetings.

The Stunt and Safety Committee is focused on looking for opportunities to make our sets safer for all cast and crew. Our goal is to educate on the importance of set safety in general and stunt safety in particular.