SAG, AFTRA nups may be a tough sell
Elections, agent oversight likely sticking points
Instead, leaders of the performers orgs are already heavily engaged in spin control as they prep a campaign to convince skeptical SAG members to accept a similar deal to what they turned down four years ago with only 46% of a required 60%.
The leaders -- who will formally announce details today -- insist it's a different deal this time, dubbing it a "consolidation" that will create a new umbrella union with affiliates for actors, broadcasters and recording artists.
But it's clear that it's not a done deal as objections have already emerged. Critics contend the new merger is little more than a dressed-up version of the 1999 proposal, which was successfully attacked on the grounds that it amounted to a takeover of the more powerful Screen Actors Guild by the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists.
The merger's proponents will emphasize the need to modernize the org to more effectively rep the 135,000 performers in a world of increasing power among mega-congloms. The new union would be in a position to start merging with other performers unions such as Actors Equity and the American Federation of Musicians.
Proposal has been placed on a fast track with the goal of creating a new union by this summer. But two key sticking points will likely dog the approval process:
The new union's president will be chosen by delegates at a convention -- ending SAG's seven-decade tradition of directly electing its president. Proponents will contend that most unions, including AFTRA, choose their president through a convention but the provision is certain to be attacked as undemocratic.
Agent issue submerged
The plan is also a clear signal that SAG has hoisted the white flag -- at least for now -- on the hot-button issue of regaining oversight of Hollywood agents. SAG members voted down a revision of the master franchise agreement last April due to concerns over potential conflicts for actors if ad agencies are allowed to own a 20% stake in talent agencies; AFTRA's board approved the same deal without a member vote.
SAG's elected leaders have stalled on the agent issue since then, leading to hundreds of Guild members signing state-approved General Service Agreements that are far more favorable to agents in terms of broadening commissions and length of the contract.
Other pitfalls that could come from anti-merger forces would concern stressing the difficulties of combining the health and pension plans; the loss of SAG's identity as an actors' union; the prospect of increased dues; and increased competition for SAG jobs, given AFTRA's less stringent membership rules.
Will lobby heavily
SAG and AFTRA staff are likely to lobby heavily for the merger, releasing a brace of laudatory press releases, hiring consultants in the same vein as last year's engagement of Clinton/Gore spinmasters Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane for the agent deal.
The national boards of SAG and AFTRA will vote Saturday on principles of the new entity. The most recent joint SAG-AFTRA board meetings took place during the 2000 commercials strike.
SAG has 98,000 members and AFTRA has about 70,000; about 40,000 thesps are members of both.
