SAG National Board Votes to Oppose Closure of Motion Picture & Television Fund Long Term Care Facility

Los Angeles (July 25, 2009) – The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors today opposed by a vote of 51.74 percent to 48.26 percent the closure of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Long Term Care Facility.

The Board received presentations from representatives of the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) and the Resident-family coalition Saving the Lives of Our Own.

After thorough discussion of both sides of the issue, the Board voted 51.74 percent to 48.26 percent to publicly oppose the closing of the MPTF’s Long Term Care facility.

“I think the extremely close vote is evidence of the difficult decision we wrestled with today,” said Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg.

“The MPTF’s significant financial and operational concerns were absolutely heard, but after hearing the presentations from both sides of the issue, our board voted to oppose the closing and did so to try and preserve the legacy of the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Long Term Care historic commitment, in honor of the screen actors who founded it – Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin,” Rosenberg added.

The full text of the motion follows:

It was moved and seconded to approve that the SAG National Board publicly state the Guild’s opposition to the closing of the Motion Picture and Television Fund Long Term Care Facility.

Approved 51.74% – 48.26%

The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors met today at a previously scheduled videoconference plenary in Los Angeles and New York.

Many members have expressed an interest in learning more about this issue. For additional information, please visit www.savingthelivesofourown.org and www.mptvfund.org.