SAG-AFTRA National Board Meets via Videoconference

The SAG-AFTRA National Board met Saturday in a scheduled one-day videoconference plenary. The Board unanimously passed a resolution to create a path to SAG-AFTRA membership for intimacy coordinators. 

“The role of intimacy coordinators greatly improves safety and well-being on sets and in productions requiring intimate scenes,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “Their value is immeasurable and the National Board is committed to bringing intimacy coordinators into the SAG-AFTRA family and ensuring they have the kind of benefits and protections other members already enjoy.” 

“Intimacy coordinators, many of whom already are SAG-AFTRA members, have become an essential on-set resource for cast and crew alike. This decision furthers our mission of making on-set safety an industrywide standard and priority, and welcomes other talented, dedicated workers to join us,” said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.  

Intimacy coordinators are professionals who function as an advocate and liaison between performers and productions, facilitating communications and helping with movement and choreography when nudity and intimate scenes are being filmed. It is as much to the benefit of the production as it is for the performers.

In June, SAG-AFTRA announced the publication of an intimacy coordinator registry and pre-registry. The lists are provided as a resource to help producers identify qualified and experienced intimacy coordinators.

Executive Vice President Ben Whitehair led a remembrance of members and staff who have passed away since the last National Board meeting, including former AFTRA President Shelby Scott, and led the Board in a moment of silence. 

The Board also reviewed administrative, finance, governance and legal matters and received reports, including: 

President’s Report

Speaking on voting rights and women’s rights, Drescher repeatedly defended the democratic process saying, “Everyone has the right to have their concerns raised and considered. In a democracy, you may not like the outcome of a particular vote, but as Americans it is your duty to protect and defend the process by which outcomes are determined.”

Drescher reported on the partnership with the NFL Players Association called Actors and Athletes: Unions for Democracy, which was publicly launched July 17. The goal of the effort is to protect voting rights through support for passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and robust participation in voter registration and Get Out the Vote campaigns.

Drescher spoke forcefully against the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, calling it “blatant sexism.”  

Drescher also gave an update on Green Council, an initiative she has been leading to encourage more environmentally friendly practices in the industry. Drescher reported that she has been meeting with allied organizations and will soon announce the members of the full coalition, and is planning for a launch event in September or October 2022.

The president also updated the Board on new creative elements she is spearheading for SAG-AFTRA magazine and an effort to encourage members to create an online profile at sagaftra.org and register for electronic union communications.

National Executive Director’s Report

Crabtree-Ireland reported on the union’s operations and initiatives, including ongoing and upcoming negotiations, strategic partnerships, government affairs and public policy, and staffing updates. 

He started by thanking the Board for its support and trust as he reached a one-year anniversary as national executive director. He highlighted the success of the Ads Go Union efforts to recapture commercials work and, in particular, the success of the Influencer Agreement and how it is emblematic of SAG-AFTRA’s engagement in new business models and protecting members wherever they work.

Crabtree-Ireland congratulated Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto, who was a finalist for the CFO Leadership Awards from the Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing team.

He also reported on the union’s continued work on various legislative efforts, including the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) and California’s LAW (Let Artists Work) Act.  He noted that both collective bargaining and legislative advocacy are key to the success of the union.

Crabtree-Ireland also reported that the joint unions’ Return to Work Agreement with the AMPTP has been extended through Sept. 30. He noted that the provisions of the agreement successfully allowed the industry to return to work while protecting the health and safety of cast and crew.

Finance Report

Secretary-Treasurer Joely Fisher and Chief Financial Officer Arianna Ozzanto presented results for the fiscal year 2022. The year ended with a healthy surplus, beating both revenue and expense targets.  

The Board received a report from their independent auditors at PriceWaterhouseCoopers that they have issued an unqualified audit opinion.

Contracts Report

Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez presented reports on various contracts, culminating in the National Board seating the National Interactive Media Agreement Wages & Working Conditions Plenary Committee and the National Corporate/Educational and Non-Broadcast Contract Wages & Working Conditions Plenary Committee. 

Governance Report

Chief Governance, Equity & Inclusion Officer Michelle Bennett reported on various administrative and governance matters. 

The Board voted unanimously to appoint SAG-AFTRA National Vice President, Los Angeles Michelle Hurd and SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local President Jodi Long to the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan Board of Trustees, and Washington-Mid Atlantic Local Vice President and Vice Chair of the National Broadcast Steering Committee Tracee Wilkins to both the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan and the AFTRA Retirement Fund boards of trustees.

The meeting adjourned at 6:26 p.m. PT.

About SAG-AFTRA

SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.