One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
SAG & AFTRA Talk Merger In Closed-Door Meeting
Photo by vmiramontes via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Leaders of SAG and AFTRA held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday night in Los Angeles to hear opinions on the possibility of merging the two unions, reports the Hollywood Reporter. According to sources, approximately 235 attendees were split roughly 50-50 for and against such a decision.
However, those percentages are reportedly "not representative of the electorate," as SAG’s Hollywood Division is strongly pro-merger having elected candidates in the past three election cycles who are from the Unite for Strength camp. Merger proponents argue that the two unions will "continue to share an awkward overlapping jurisdiction over television and new media work," unless a merger occurs, notes the Hollywood Reporter.
Health and pension were key issues for members on both sides of the argument:
Supporters of uniting the two unions pointed at the meeting to the “split earnings” problem: with theatrical work exclusively SAG, and new television shows (and, thus, much though not all television work) being done under AFTRA contracts, actors who are members of both unions find their earnings split between two sets of pension and health plans. That makes it harder for those “dual cardholders” to meet the required earnings thresholds for either union’s pension or health plans. They can be left with no health insurance, for instance, even if their earnings in aggregate would have qualified were there a single union and single health plan... Merger skeptics are...asking for a certitude on P&H that the unions won’t be able to deliver, even next January - but, among other things, they’re also reluctant to vote for a merger that involves a leap into the unknown on benefits matters.
SAG and AFTRA declined to comment for this story, notes the Hollywood Reporter.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
