Presidential Pickings: A Note from Our President

Hello SAG-AFTRA New Orleans Local Members!

I get asked a lot why we don’t have a local office, given all the production here.

In the reorganization after merger, SAG-AFTRA national considered many factors in deciding which locals would keep a physical local office open. The number of members in the local and the total earnings of the members of each local are just two of these many factors.

New Orleans shot more feature films in 2013 than California, New York or Canada. Additionally, we are third or fourth in productions of all kind. You might ask, then, why are the official earnings of the New Orleans Local so low compared to other locals?

The reason this is true is because every performer’s wage, wherever earned, is credited to the local to which he or she belongs.

Please do not misunderstand me. We support the right of all SAG-AFTRA members from any local to work anywhere. We hope that there continues to be enough production of all types in Louisiana and Mississippi to provide union work for all SAG-AFTRA members, regardless of the locals to which they belong. We just want the New Orleans Local to get credit for the work done by our members.

The reason the New Orleans Local does not get credited with much higher local earnings is because a large percentage of our local performers have not transferred their membership to the New Orleans Local. This means that when they work, their earnings are credited to the local to which they are registered instead of the New Orleans Local getting the credit.

Unless our local actors transfer their memberships to the New Orleans Local, we will continue to reflect much lower local earnings than we actually have.

As far as we know, no other local has this problem. Los Angeles performers are registered with the Los Angeles Local. Members in New York are registered with the New York Local. Performers who live in Georgia are registered with the Atlanta Local. When these performers work in Louisiana and Mississippi, their locals get credit for their earnings.

Please ask your fellow performers the following two questions: 1) Are you a member of the New Orleans Local? 2) If not, will you please transfer your membership now?

If you have not transferred your membership to the New Orleans Local and you live in Louisiana or Mississippi, call Membership Supervisor Eileen Neel at (305) 670-7677, extension 7079, or email eileen.neel@sagaftra.org. She will send you a SAG-AFTRA member contact update form, so you can transfer your membership today.

Establishing an accurate count of the SAG-AFTRA members in the New Orleans Local will be a big step in our efforts to obtain a local executive director.

In the meantime, I’m happy to report that a regional set relations representative will be hired soon. This person will visit sets in our area regularly and help support and protect our members in busy production locations like Louisiana.

Please remember that I am here as your elected president to get answers to any questions you might have. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Please ask in your email that your request be directed to me.

Diana Boylston, New Orleans Local President

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