SAG-AFTRA National Convention Concludes with Officer Speeches

Los Angeles (October 9, 2017) - The third SAG-AFTRA National Convention concluded Sunday with members voting on final resolutions and speeches from the union’s top officers, focusing on the convention’s theme: Our Union, Our Strength, Our Future . The day capped a three-day event that brought together member delegates from across the country to vote on resolutions that advance the union and its mission. 

In closing remarks, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris thanked delegates for their service to members and congratulated the newly elected leadership. She also thanked the staff. President Carteris also debuted the inaugural >President’s Award to the late New York President Mike Hodge. SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon accepted the award on his behalf.

Carteris highlighted the work the union has achieved over the last two years as well as the accomplishments made during the national convention. “This has been an amazing three days. The work that you have done is setting the course for the next two years of SAG-AFTRA and beyond. It is clear that you are the right leaders to be in the room and you should be proud,” Carteris said. She also asked delegates to think about mentorship. “We inspire each other to aspire to more,” she said. “We must pay it forward.”

Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon encouraged delegates to prioritize and unify saying, “We are a huge union with a broad constituency and we need to focus our energies in areas where we will get the biggest return.” She also encouraged delegates to be trailblazers and mentors to the next generation of performers. “Part of being a good mentor is getting the next person to be involved,” she said. “Step out of the position of control and bring someone along. Let them understand that they have agency.”

Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin reflected on the changes the union has undergone for the last two years and provided an update on the union’s finances. “It continues to be an honor to serve this union as one of its national officers,” said Austin, adding that along with Carteris and Damon, “It is my belief that together we are a trifecta of union, strength and future.”

Delegates were treated to a closing video that featured highlights from the three-day convention.

The next biennial SAG-AFTRA convention will take place in 2019.

Inaugural President’s Award Unveiled at SAG-AFTRA National Convention

Los Angeles (October 9, 2017) - During the final day of the SAG-AFTRA National Convention in Los Angeles, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris unveiled the President’s Award, an inaugural honor that celebrates someone who has given meritorious service to the union and its members. Mike Hodge, the late New York President, was posthumously selected to receive the first-ever award.

“Today I’m going to start a new SAG-AFTRA tradition: the presentation of the first President’s Award, which recognizes exceptional service to the union,” said Carteris.“I am honored to present this award to Mike Hodge for his extraordinary service, dedication and commitment to the membership of SAG-AFTRA, and unionism in America. It only feels right that it should go to someone who worked so hard for the union. He will be sorely missed but we continue to feel his presence in the indelible mark he made on this union and all who came in contact with him. From merger to negotiations to the resources he brought to New York members, we are all better off for having shared this journey with him.”

SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Rebecca Damon accepted the award on his behalf and said, “Mike Hodge would have been thrilled and humbled by this honor. He was an inspiration to not only the New York membership but to all of us in this union. I am happy to know that his memory will live on. As Ken Howard liked to say, he was ‘the voice of god.’ The important work he did for this union makes Mike the perfect first recipient of this award.”

An accomplished actor and stalwart unionist, Hodge passed away on September 9. He was 70. Hodge was a SAG-AFTRA National Board member since 2001, and was first elected New York president in 2009 and continued in that role until his death. He was instrumental in jumpstarting the effort that ultimately led to the merging of Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in 2012. In 2013 and again in 2015, he was elected at the SAG-AFTRA National Convention to two-year terms as the union’s National Vice President representing New York.

SAG-AFTRA National Convention Second Day Opens with National Executive Director's Presentation

Los Angeles (Oct. 7, 2017) – The second day of SAG-AFTRA’s National Convention on Saturday began with a presentation by National Executive Director David White, which provided an update to convention delegates on initiatives set forth during the last convention such as the Member Care Contact Center, direct deposit, the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan merger, the member app and Spanish-Language organizing. White’s presentation also covered the increased challenges faced in so-called Right-to-Work states, the challenges broadcast journalists are facing due to the threat of deregulation in their industry, residuals processing, the changing technological landscape as well as member engagement.

“We have reached a turning point as an institution,” said White. “There are transformational changes occurring in the industries in which our members work. Therefore it will require transformational change within this union to meet the challenges ahead. We’ve accomplished tremendous amounts of work since our last meeting, but the disruptive business models we now face and the pace of change we must now grapple with is unprecedented. While this presents an awesome challenge, this also presents an awesome opportunity for us. SAG-AFTRA must rise to seize the opportunity and meet the challenge.”

In addition to White’s report, delegates worked through several resolutions and attended afternoon panels and workshops. In the evening, delegates were invited to attend a special screening of the film Molly's Game. On Friday night, at the union’s A Legendary Evening gala, staff members John McGuire and Marcia Fishman as well as members Ned Vaughn and Joe Krebs were all recipients of the George Heller Memorial Award gold cards in recognition for their outstanding contributions to SAG-AFTRA and its members.

The George Heller Memorial Award is presented every two years at convention and bestowed based on contributions and years of service to SAG-AFTRA or its predecessor unions. Recipients are selected by a subcommittee comprised of past recipients and National Honors and Tributes Committee members from around the country. The recipients are:

• John McGuire, Senior Advisor
  McGuire started with Screen Actors Guild in 1969 and has been with the union nearly 50 years. He served as the New York executive director at the Guild until 1983, after which he rose to the position of SAG’s associate national executive director until 2001. He has been an instrumental player when it comes to contract negotiation. Outside of the union, he’s a tireless advocate for members, both in the United States and on the international stage. He serves as vice president of the International Federation of Actors and is a trustee of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. 
• Marcia Fishman, Director of Locals Administration
  For almost 15 years, Marcia Fishman has advocated for SAG-AFTRA members in locals across the country. As a local executive and now a national leader, she has a passion for continuing education and organizational growth. Fishman has worked to improve the union’s everyday operations to better serve members of all backgrounds, leading the fight on crucial issues, including the campaign against so-called Right-to-Work laws. 
• Ned Vaughn, Executive Vice President
  Vaughn was SAG-AFTRA’s first executive vice president. A passionate advocate for members, Ned also served in governance in Screen Actors Guild, on the Hollywood Branch Board, the National Board and as the first national vice president. He was one of the key voices in the merger of SAG and AFTRA, and he worked tirelessly with the Group for One Union to accomplish what had been attempted unsuccessfully multiple times before. He was also instrumental in convincing the late Ken Howard, SAG-AFTRA’s first president, to become involved in union service, and Ken made a point of thanking him when he received his own gold card in 2015.
• Joe Krebs, Broadcaster
  Krebs is a dedicated journalist and a true union man. He has decades of union service, first at AFTRA, and then at SAG-AFTRA. He has served as president of AFTRA’s Washington-Baltimore Local, on AFTRA’s National Board, on the SAG-AFTRA National Board and on countless committees in both unions, including chairing the Broadcast Steering Committee. He was a key member of the merger team and co-authored the merged union’s dues structure as well as the SAG-AFTRA Constitution. Professionally, Krebs has been informing the public for more than four decades, with the last 30 years at the NBC owned and operated television station WRC-TV, until his retirement in 2012. He has won multiple Emmys for his reporting, in addition to numerous other honors and awards.

The 2017 SAG-AFTRA American Scene Awards were also presented at the gala in three categories:

ENTERTAINMENT AWARD – 20^th Century Fox Television for This is Us.
The Entertainment Award was presented by actor Jon Huertas to This Is Us writer Kay Oyegun.

BELVA DAVIS NEWS & BROADCAST AWARD – KPBS San Diego
The Belva Davis News & Broadcast Award was presented by investigative reporter Amita Sharma to San Diego State University Research Foundation for KPBS San Diego. The award was accepted by Nancy Worlie, KPBS Associate General Manager for Content and Communication.

MUSIC & SOUND RECORDINGS AWARD – Atlantic Music Group for Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) and The Hamilton Mixtape.
The Music & Sound Recording Award was presented by SAG-AFTRA Sound Recordings/Singers National Vice President Dan Navarro to Kevin Weaver, President of Atlantic Records, West Coast.  

The SAG-AFTRA National Convention concludes Sunday with officer reports and the Committee of Locals meeting at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. For more information about the SAG-AFTRA inaugural convention, please visit SAGAFTRACONVENTION.org.

SAG-AFTRA Opens Third Convention, Elects National Officers

Los Angeles (October 6, 2017) - SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris officially opened the third biennial SAG-AFTRA National Convention Friday morning by joining members in acknowledging the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas and the victims of recent hurricanes that have devastated Puerto Rico and the Gulf Coast.

As a musical tribute, SAG-AFTRA members Dan Navarro, Carlos Ricketts, Gerald White, Jim Ferguson and Jasper Randall sang John Lennon's “Imagine” in commemoration.

Delegates then heard a keynote conversation featuring director and producer Nancy Meyers (Private Benjamin, What Women Want) facilitated by Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz. Meyers reflected on opportunities for women in the entertainment industry.

“The statistics say it’s just as bad as it’s ever been, but there’s more talk about it,” she said. “There’s more industry conversation.” Meyers said that part of the problem is that executives interpret the success of a female-directed or female-starring film as a fluke. “A movie about a woman does well and we’re not flooding the market,” she said. 

Meyers also advised the audience to work on projects they felt passionate about. “The best movies come from people who so believe in the material,” she said. “Don’t try to package something. Tell the right story, because you’re going to work your ass off for a very long time.” 

During the convention session, delegates nominated and elected the union’s eight national vice presidents, including the executive vice president.

Rebecca Damon was reelected Executive Vice President.

The following are the results of the election of vice presidents. Candidates who ran unopposed are indicated by an asterisk. Each position is for two years.

• Clyde Kusatsu, National Vice President, Los Angeles
• Liz Zazzi, National Vice President, New York*
• Ilyssa Fradin, National Vice President, Mid-Sized Locals
• Suzanne Burkhead, National Vice President, Small Locals*
• Samantha Mathis, National Vice President, Actors/Performers
• Catherine Brown, National Vice President, Broadcasters*
• Dan Navarro, National Vice President, Recording Artists/Singers*

The first day included the opening of the convention expo, featuring partner organizations providing important and useful information to delegates and members.

This evening, delegates will attend A Legendary Evening, a gala celebration at the Globe Theatre at Universal Studios Hollywood, which includes the presentation of the American Scene Awards and George Heller Memorial Award honors.

Tomorrow, the convention continues with a report from National Executive Director David White, business sessions, as well afternoon panels and workshops.

The SAG-AFTRA National Convention runs Oct. 5-8 at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. For more information about the SAG-AFTRA inaugural convention, please visit SAGAFTRACONVENTION.org.

SAG-AFTRA Announces Rebecca Damon Reelected Executive Vice President at National Convention

Los Angeles (October 4, 2017) - SAG-AFTRA today announced that Rebecca Damon has been reelected as executive vice president of the union at its third biennial SAG-AFTRA National Convention in Los Angeles. Her new two-year term begins immediately.

“It is my honor to continue to serve the members of SAG-AFTRA as executive vice president and as acting New York Local President,” Damon said. “I will fight for the future of our union and make sure we stay ahead of the curve and prepared to face tomorrow’s challenges.”

“Our congratulations to Rebecca on her reelection,” said President Gabrielle Carteris. “She has been a strong and tireless advocate for SAG-AFTRA members. I look forward to continue serving with her in the coming term.” 

The election for EVP consisted of two candidates, Damon and Matthew Modine.

Hailing from New York, Damon is a working actor and voiceover performer and a SAG-AFTRA National Board member. She is the chair of the national Government Review Committee and MOVE NY Committee and also serves on the Executive, Finance and Government Affairs and Public Policy Committees. Currently serving on the President’s Task Force on Education, Outreach and Engagement and as the chair of the MORE (Member Outreach Relations & Education) Committee, she is a fierce advocate for education and empowerment for performers nationwide.

Damon is a SAG-AFTRA Foundation Board Member, an educational, humanitarian and philanthropic non-profit organization, and is the primary elected liaison for Foundation programming in NY including creation of the Actors Center at 1900 Broadway and the Robin Williams Center for Entertainment and Media.

A founding member of the President’s Forum for One Union and G1, the effort to unite SAG & AFTRA, she co-led the Operations Workgroup as a key architect of the merger while serving as the Screen Actors Guild New York Division Vice President.

Damon was first elected EVP of SAG-AFTRA in April 2016. To download a high-resolution image of Damon click here.

A full list of elected geographic and member category vice presidents will be announced later today.

The SAG-AFTRA National Convention runs Oct. 5-8 at the Sheraton Universal in Universal City. For more information about the SAG-AFTRA convention, please visit SAGAFTRACONVENTION.org.

This Is Us, Hamilton Albums and KPBS San Diego Honored by SAG-AFTRA

Los Angeles (October 4, 2017) - SAG-AFTRA today announced the recipients for its third SAG-AFTRA American Scene Awards: Twentieth Century Fox Television for This Is Us, Atlantic Music Group for Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) andThe Hamilton Mixtape, as well as the San Diego State University Research Foundation for KPBS San Diego. Winners were selected for their work that exemplifies equal access and full inclusion of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds, people with disabilities, women, seniors, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender and other misrepresented or underrepresented groups.

This year’s call for nominations included major network, cable and streaming series, independent and studio feature films, public television and radio as well as local and national news and was the largest entry pool since the awards’ inception. The American Scene Awards are the only award given out by the union that recognizes employers that value diversity in all its forms.

Jason George, chair of the SAG-AFTRA Diversity Advisory Committee, said of this year’s recipients, “I am extremely pleased to announce the three recipients of this year's American Scene Awards. With its multi-generational story of a multiracial family, This Is Us is a television standout this season and incredibly deserving of this year's award in the Entertainment category. However, it's worth noting how difficult it was to choose one winner. A perusal of that nominee list speaks volumes about how much more inclusive television and film have become in recent years. More work definitely still needs to be done but projects like these prove that being a hit and being inclusive are not diametrically opposed. This year's recipient in Music and Sound Recordings, the Hamilton cast recording and Mixtape collectively, used the lens of multiculturalism to take a focused look at this nation both during its founding and today. Similarly, the News & Broadcast recipient, KPBS San Diego, used hard-hitting journalism to educate, inform and shine a light on the various communities that the station reaches. All of these American Scene Award recipients are shining examples to the entertainment industry and the world that inclusivity is, in fact, the key to financial success and critical acclaim." 

Adds Jenny O’Hara, chair of the SAG-AFTRA Honors and Tributes Committee, “The American Scene Awards are unique in the entertainment industry—they are the only SAG-AFTRA award that recognizes producers and content creators for their diversity efforts. I’m proud to have worked alongside the Diversity Advisory Committee to narrow down our winners. It was a difficult choice but This Is Us, KPBS San Diego and Hamilton are exceptional examples of the American Scene. Representation matters and we will continue to reward union signatories that prioritize the creation of content that reflects the world in which we live.”

Taking into consideration authenticity, excellence and impact, the awards recognize work in the three main contract categories covered by the union. The honors include the Entertainment Award, the Belva Davis Broadcaster Award and the Recording Artist Award. The awards will be presented on Friday, October 6, as part of the celebration event at the Globe Theatre in Universal Studios Hollywood during SAG-AFTRA’s biennial convention.

The American Scene Awards presentation will feature master of ceremonies Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin) with an after-party with DJ ButchonTap.

The 2017 American Scene Award recipients are:

ENTERTAINMENT AWARD
Twentieth Century Fox Television for This Is Us

BELVA DAVIS NEWS & BROADCAST AWARD
San Diego State University Research Foundation for KPBS San Diego

MUSIC & SOUND RECORDINGS AWARD
Atlantic Music Group for Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) and The Hamilton Mixtape

“We couldn’t be prouder of This Is Us at this studio, and creator Dan Fogelman deserves all the credit for creating such a brilliant and resonant series. The inclusiveness of his storytelling and authenticity of his characters are one important reason the show is such a sensation. Another is the genius of his writers coupled with the outstanding performances of his cast. They deserve every accolade and award they are getting. We remain in awe,” said Jonathan Davis, president of creative affairs at 20th Century Fox Television.

"KPBS is honored that SAG-AFTRA is recognizing us with this esteemed award," said Nancy Worlie, KPBS Associate General Manager for Content and Communications. "We take great pride in our mission to serve the San Diego and Imperial Valley region with quality news and content that both educates and inspires. We strive to represent our entire community, which is rich and full of unique people and cultures. These diverse perspectives are what make San Diego such a great community and makes KPBS extremely proud to tell its story on a daily basis. The award is ​a valued recognition of what we've done but also inspiration to keep innovating with new opportunities." Adds Suzanne Marmion, KPBS Director of News and Editorial Strategy, "KPBS values inclusivity within the newsroom, and our news coverage. It's not just the right thing to do; diverse perspectives make stories more nuanced, richer and smarter. Projects such as Fronteras and Speak City Heights have helped us elevate neighborhood voices. Thank you for recognizing the KPBS team's ongoing work to make ALL our programming more reflective of the many communities we serve."  

“All of us at Atlantic Records and everyone involved with the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording are honored to receive SAG-AFTRA’s American Scene Award, which calls much-needed attention to the rich diversity that is central to our history and our culture. The creation of the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton tells a quintessential American story in a revolutionary way. The show has redefined the Broadway music for the 21^st century, and the album has reinvented the world of cast recordings. Hamilton brings together multiple musical genres – hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, show music – under one umbrella to create a multi-cultural, multi-dimensional melting pot. In the process, it unites people of all ages, races, and backgrounds in a musical celebration of the birth and evolution of America itself,” said Atlantic Music Group in a statement.

Says SAG-AFTRA National Director of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity, Adam Moore, “We believe that there is more and better inclusive content being made now than ever before and, given the quality and number of projects we received for consideration, we are not alone. This year, the deliberations to just arrive at the finalists were incredibly difficult. This is a good problem to have and we are encouraged by the growing power of these intentionally inclusive employers and these aspirational awards to lead the way forward.”

The full list of nominees are:

ENTERTAINMENT AWARD (in alphabetical order)

• American Crime (LiveLikeLisa + Stearns Castle + ABC Studios)
• Hidden Figures (Levantine Films + Chernin Entertainment + Fox 2000 Pictures)
• Jane the Virgin (Poppy Productions + RCTV + Electus + CBS Television + Warner Bros. Television)
• Major Crimes (Warner Bros. Television)
• Master of None
  (3 Arts Entertainment + Alan young Pictures + Fremulon + Oh Brudder Productions + Universal Television)
• Moonlight (A24 + PASTEL + Plan B Entertainment)
• Speechless (Silver and Gold Prods + The Detective Agency + ABC Studios + 20th Century Fox Television)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
  (Your Face Goes Here Entertainment + Cine Mosaic + Harpo Films + HBO Films)
• This is Us (Rhode Island Ave. Productions + Zaftig Films + 20th Century Fox Television)*WINNER
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (3 Arts Entertainment + Bevel Gears + Little Stronger + Universal Television)

BELVA DAVIS NEWS & BROADCAST AWARD (in alphabetical Order)

• Jaime Jarrin ("the Spanish voice of the Dodgers") (Los Angeles Dodgers)
• KPBS San Diego (radio & television) (San Diego State University Research Foundation)*WINNER
• The Takeaway(WNYC Studios)

MUSIC & SOUND RECORDINGS AWARD

• Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) andThe Hamilton Mixtape by Various Artists (Atlantic Music Group)*WINNER
• Here by Alicia Keys (RCA Records + Sony Music)
• We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest
  (Epic Records + Sony Music)

Past recipients of the SAG-AFTRA American Scene Award include NPR, Amazon Studios, Capitol Records Nashville, ABC Family, Detroit Public Television, American Idol, Sesame Street and the Children’s Television Workshop, Modern Family, Parenthood, The Voice, As the World Turns, Warner Bros. Records/Nashville, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago, KCBS/KCAL Los Angeles and the WGBH Educational Foundation, among many other industry leaders.

The American Scene Awards are overseen by the Diversity Advisory and Honors and Tributes committees of SAG-AFTRA.

SAG-AFTRA to Hold Third National Convention

Los Angeles (October 4, 2017) - Union leaders, delegates and special guests will come together October 5-8 for the third biennial SAG-AFTRA National Convention at the Sheraton Universal Hotel. This year’s convention theme is Our Union, Our Strength, Our Future.

SAG-AFTRA’s convention will bring together national officers, national board members, local presidents and member delegates from across the country to discuss issues essential to the union’s future.

The convention will also include the nomination and election of executive and national vice presidents in addition to consideration of a constitutional amendment and resolutions proposed by the national board, locals and member delegates. Events include A Legendary Evening gala at the Globe Theatre in Universal City Hollywood that will feature the presentation of the American Scene Awards, which honor content creators that realistically portray diversity in all its forms, as well as a presentation of the George Heller Memorial Award, a prestigious honor—a SAG-AFTRA gold card—bestowed on member leaders and/or staff who have made a significant contribution through years of service to the union.

The schedule of SAG-AFTRA’s convention is as follows:

Thursday, Oct. 5:  Delegate check-in to begin in the afternoon, followed by a National Board Meeting (open to National Board members and designated alternates only) and a welcome reception open only to convention delegates. 

Friday, Oct. 6: Convention opening session, keynote conversation, and nominations and balloting for the election of the executive vice president and geographic and category national vice presidents. A keynote conversation featuring director and producer, Nancy Meyers facilitated by Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Fritz will take place in the morning. The afternoon will include a Local Presidents Forum (open to Local Presidents and authorized attendees only) followed by consideration of a proposed constitutional amendment and resolutions. In the evening, the union will host A Legendary Evening gala featuring the American Scene and George Heller Memorial Awards at the Globe Theatre in Universal City Hollywood.

Saturday, Oct. 7: National Executive Director's Report and Q&A; consideration of proposed constitutional amendments and resolutions; and five panels and workshops:

• We Rise Together: Advocacy and Activism, Inside and Outside of Your Union
• The State of the Industries: How the Big Picture Affects You
• Health, Pension and Retirement: Protecting Our Present and Investing in Our Future
• The Octopus with a Thousand Legs – How We’ll Win with the Commercials Organizing Campaign
• #sagaftraunidos – Our Union, Our Future: Why Spanish Language Media Matters to All of Us

Convention will conclude with officer reports from President Carteris, Secretary-Treasurer Jane Austin, and the newly elected executive vice president (who is elected Friday at the convention).