This is a well-deserved win, both for them and the thousands of Actors who might finally achieve peace of mind and more job security once the U4S members resolve the festering stalemate between SAG and the major producers. Wheels, we are assured, are already in motion.

Raise a glass to them, folks: An Actor’s life is a herculean challenge, valiantly striving for success and validation against seemingly countless and insurmountable enemies who deploy all manner of nefarious acts to halt their ascent. No Actor deserves to meet added resistance from those who are meant to guard their best interests.

The outdated thinking and disrespect of the members displayed by the ‘Membership First’ coalition induced widespread uncertainty that was as doubtlessly stressful as it was undeserved. This is a new start – in more ways than one.
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Given this atmosphere, you’d think those most exposed to such an occupational slump would find more constructive uses for their time and talents than to play adolescent games or start mud-slinging. Not so…

At this moment, a record 84 people are chasing just 11 seats in SAG’s National Board elections, which are due to close on September 18. And not only are the candidates fighting each other, it’s gang warfare too: The union is divided into two warring tribes: “Membership First’” [who comprise most of the current Board,] and “Unite for Strength,” which was created after the union’s AFTRA-hating witch-hunt and failed contract talks.

For 27-years the two unions have lived and negotiated together, and things stayed basically peachy. Today, it’s like the Hatfields and the McCoys…with great make-up.

The ‘Membership First’ lobby – who for easily definable reasons want the status quo [and thus their directorial power over it] to continue unchallenged – are telling members that the “Unite for Strength,” team want to steal all their toys. They claim that ‘Unite’ wants to merge AFTRA and SAG into one union and give up any rights to get paid for work in new media.

First, it’s inconceivable that anyone with an IQ above a room temperature who was employed in a profession as fundamentally unstable and ferociously competitive as acting would do something so boundlessly stupid as even offer to work in one of the most exciting acting frontiers in history, entirely for free…So that’s clearly scare-mongering rhetoric.

And second, how is unity a bad idea? The two have been Siamese twins for almost three decades. As one cohesive unit they would have far more leverage when negotiating with avaricious leviathans like the AMPTP, who nearly ground them into the asphalt in their last bout in October. How is increasing your ability to defend the rights and jobs of the members you each claim to care passionately about a ‘bad’ idea?

Perhaps the two sides should watch this…

‘Emily’ is the face of what could easily become a very real threat. With a tweak in the contracts the studios could ‘own’ an Actor’s likeness for a film and ‘Emily’ them if they dared show dissent. The image is amazing. The picture it paints is horrific. What do you think? – watch for yourself and add your voice to the the debate…

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