Words from Your Local President

During this time of uncertainty in the age of COVID-19, please know that our union is here for us and together we will endure. Two score and zero years ago, I became a dual cardholder of SAG and AFTRA, which, as you all know, merged into ONE union, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television & Radio Artists), in 2012.
 
That makes me a 40-year member, and here we are in 2020. True, this numbers observation has no real significance for others, but sometimes, every so often, I feel a need to stop and count the digits.
 
Statistically speaking, I know it’s a mere coincidence, and the odds of making it a meaningful and provable mathematical expression making any sense is about the same as a Facebook algorithm. Maybe I can best sum it up in one word: floccinaucinihilipilification. To save you time looking it up on the Googles and the Internets, I will attempt to decipher. It is the longest nontechnical mathematical word (29 letters) that is the act of estimating or describing something as worthless or making something worthless by deprecation. It is, in itself, worthless because it is never used other than as an example as a long word! Thank you for indulging me and let’s move on.
 
Speaking of numbers, here are some positive ones.
 
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 media professionals.
 
Our AZ-UT Local is unique compared to many of the other locals in the country (there are 23 locals outside of L.A. and New York). In our AZ-UT Local, there are approximately 1,200 members residing in a jurisdictional area that spans more than 800 miles in three different geographical regions. We have board members from Northern Arizona, Southern Arizona and Utah working together as one board, one local and one union, as I like to say. 
 
We are among 10 locals without brick and mortar, but we have designated staff for local, contracts and professional representative services. Our local liaison (who is in the Dallas office) is Lisha Brock. She serves our members well with her organizational skills, attention to detail, patience, humor and knowledge. Lisha travels to our local regularly for in-person meetings and to outreach with industry professionals, schools and other community partners to grow our union presence. She can be reached at lisha.brock@sagaftra.org or (214) 363-8300 ext. 5. 

Last fall, we had a face-to-face retreat with the newly elected board led by Lisha that helped us prepare to serve the membership and plan for the coming year.
 
As we work our way through these current challenging times, we look forward to a future when we are able to return to some of our regular programming:

· Cactus Connections in Tucson.
· Cocktail and Coffee Connections in Phoenix.
· Script to Screen Conservatory program.
· Participation with AFMC (Arizona Film & Media Coalition).  
· Participation with APA (AZ Production Association).
· Utah Outreach Committee meeting.
 
I’m sorry to share the news that Local Board member Sher Ribas Blum has resigned. Thank you, Sher, for your service to the board. Membership involvement is critical to our union’s progress and I encourage you to get involved. Please contact me at azutpresident@sagaftra.org if you would like to serve on a committee or if there is an issue you want the board to discuss at our meetings.

While we are being asked to physically stay apart for the time being, looking out for one another is what will and does unify us.

One union, one local, one board,
Joe Corcoran, Arizona-Utah Local President