SAG Announces Solidarity Campaign

Screen Actors Guild Announces “Solidarity  Campaign”
First 31 “Solidarity Signers” add names to list of  members in support of a “yes” vote on the strike authorization referendum.
Among the names are several prominent Academy Award™ nominees and recipients.

Los  Angeles, December 12, 2008 -- Screen Actors Guild today announced the  names of 30 recognizable members who, along with Guild national president Alan  Rosenberg, signed SAG’s “Statement of Support.” The first signers include Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh, Hal Holbrook, Dixie  Carter, John Heard, Jerry O’Connell, Rob Morrow and 20 others.

Guild  secretary treasurer Connie Stevens and 1st national vice president Anne-Marie  Johnson also signed on to the statement as did board members Elliott Gould,  Frances Fisher, Valerie Harper, Robert Hays, Justine Bateman, Clancy Brown,  Charles Shaughnessy, Scott Bakula, Diane Ladd and others.

The SAG  “Statement of Support” which reads:

“I support the Screen Actors  Guild National Board of Directors request for members to vote YES to empower  the National Board to decide whether to call a TV/Theatrical contract strike,  and if so, determine its timeframe.

We must arm our negotiating  committee with the collective unity and strength of the Screen Actors Guild  members.”

Holbrook, Asner, Sheen, Ladd, Fisher, and Stevens have  recorded video testimonials and topical messages that will debut on Screen  Actors Guild’s website next week along with other celebrity  testimonials.

The Guild’s website now features video messages from  Bateman, Shaughnessy and Brown prominently displayed in a homepage video  viewer.

Initial signers include:

Ed Asner
Scott Bakula
Justine Bateman
Clancy Brown
Dixie Carter
George Coe
Anne  DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Mel Gibson
Brian Goodman
Elliot Gould
Ed Harris
Valerie Harper
John Heard
Robert Hays
Hal  Holbrook
Holly Hunter
Anne-Marie Johnson
Diane Ladd
William  Mapother
Kent McCord
Rob Morrow
Jerry O'Connell
Sandra Oh
Alan Rosenberg
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
Martin Sheen
Connie Stevens
Renee Taylor
Alicia Witt

All SAG  members are invited to sign the “Statement of Support” by emailing their name  and member number to Contract2008@sag.org.

Video statements  of support are playing now at www.sag.org.

About SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation’s largest labor union  representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in  the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term  engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists’ rights amid the  digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century.  With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents over 120,000 actors who work in  film and digital television, industrials, commercials, video games, music  videos and all other new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors’  working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified  voice on behalf of artists’ rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at www.sag.org.

Contact:
Pamela Greenwalt
Communications Executive Director
Screen Actors Guild
(323) 549-6872

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