Chicago Playback, Winter 2012

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It always seems impossible until it’s done.

- Nelson Mandela

2 playback www.sag.org

SAG-AFTRA

Timeline of the One Union ProcessJuly 2010 - Presidents Howard and Reardon created the “Presidents’ Forum for One Union” to facilitate focused and informal discussions between leaders of the two unions and their members to establish a common vision for a single, new national union.

November 2010 - the fi rst meeting of what would become the Listening Tour was conducted in New York City. The Presidents were able to speak directly with members about the benefi ts of a potential merger. The members were able to hear directly from the Presidents how the unions might approach preparation for a merger eff ort.

June 17-19, 2011 - AFTRA and SAG convened the fi rst formal face-to-face discussions between the SAG Merger Task Force and the AF-TRA New Union Committee at the AFL-CIO’s National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The two groups formally created the Group for One Union (G1) to facilitate the creation of a successor union to represent all of the members of SAG and AFTRA. The G1 established six workgroups to discuss the key areas that rank-and-fi le members identifi ed as important during the nationwide Listening Tour:

1. Governance & Structure

2. Finance & Dues

3. Collective Bargaining

4. Pension, Health & Retirement

5. Operations & Staff

6. Member Education & Outreach

The six workgroups began a series of meetings to develop recom-mendations to be considered by the full G1. The workgroups meetingscontinued through 2011 and resulted in comprehensive proposals

reviewed by the G1.

In August, October, December and in January 2012 - The G1 met and received status reports from its six workgroups. The workgroups continued meeting to develop recommen-dations for consideration by the full G1. These recommen-dations formed the basis of the merger agreement, consti-tution and dues structure to be presented to each union’s National Board.

After reviewing a merger package put forward by the G1:

January 27 - The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors voted overwhelmingly to approve and recom-mend a plan to merge with AFTRA.

January 28 - The National Board of Directors of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists voted overwhelm-ingly to approve and recommend to the AFTRA membership a plan to merge with Screen Actors Guild.

After more than a year of intensive work, we are extremely proud to bring you this historic opportunity. We are confi dent our members will agree that we have created something we can all be proud of - actors, singers, broadcasters, dancers, voiceover artists, background actors, stuntpersons and all entertainment and media professionals that will be represented by this new union. Th e consensus process allowed our Group for One Union (G1) members to fully discuss, debate and reach agreement on critical provisions that form a strong foundation for a single union that will protect and strengthen the future for all our members. We are confi dent that AFTRA and SAG members will embrace this singular chance to harness the true power of unity, and that SAG-AFTRA will protect members and shape the entertainment and media industries for decades to come.

In unity,Roberta Reardon, President AFTRA

Ken Howard, President Screen Actors Guild

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ONE UNION

AFTRA and SAG leaders and members understand that creating one union is a top priority because it will make us stronger.

ONE UNION will increase our bargaining leverage. SAG and AFTRA members of all categories largely work for the same em-ployers — the handful of multinational corporations that control the entertainment and media industries. Th e employers divide our work in several areas, making it more diffi cult for the unions to negotiate from a position of maximum strength. Th is also leaves us vulnerable to the dangerous possibility of competitive negotia-tions. Forming a single union ensures that we cannot be divided in our work or negotiations, and that our employers have just one place to get the skilled union talent they need.

ONE UNION will improve our ability to organize. Th e presence of non-union work is growing in both large and small markets, especially in the areas of commercials, industrials, interactive games, new media, cable news and local and national radio and television broadcasting. One union puts us in the best position to fi ght the spread of non-union work. By focusing our resources and implementing a unifi ed strategy, we can work more eff ectively to turn non-union work into union jobs for members.

ONE UNION will help protect health and pension/retirement benefi ts. One union will increase our bargaining strength, and bargaining strength determines the amount our employers pay to fund the benefi t plans members rely on. Also, better organizing results would put more work under union contracts, increasing total plan contributions. For these reasons, one union puts us in the best position to maintain or improve benefi t levels. Forming one union is also a necessary fi rst step in determining how AFTRA H&R and SAG P&H trustees might work together to create a single plan — one toward which ALL your covered earnings could be directed, helping you qualify for crucial benefi ts.

ONE UNION can better protect our future. Th e entertainment and media industries are changing rapidly – our work is being created, distributed and consumed in ways that weren’t imag-inable when SAG and AFTRA were founded. Forming one union now gives us an invaluable opportunity to build an organization that not only retains our best capabilities, but also gives us the greatest capacity to take

on the challenges of the future. A com-prehensive, unifi ed strategy is required to respond powerfully to technology-driven change in the industry.

Chicago members and guests showed support for merger displaying SAG-AFTRA, One Union signs at the SAG Awards party held at SUB 51 @ HUB 51.Photo by Monika Pawlak

Why ONE UNION?

Attend the Chicago Informational Meeting

Discuss the terms of the proposed SAG-AFTRA new union. There will be Q&A, so please bring your questions.

6 p.m. Monday, March 12KMRC, One East Erie, Suite 660

Chicago, IL (312) 573-8081

Please bring your membership card (paid thru April 30, 2012) for admittance.


MEMBERS AT WORK

Mark DeCarlo, Martha Stewart, Ryan Chiaverini, and Val Warner on the set of ABC7’s Windy City Live.

The Drunk’s Tom Sizemore and Jess Ventura.

Tom Sizemore with Jesse Harper, Antoine McKay, Danny Goldring, and Adam Poss in the campaign headquarters from The Drunk.

Dust of War, on location in South Dakota.

Bernadette Lords in Smashed!

From Ohio to South Dakota, shooting on location and in studios, AFTRA and SAG members were working.

Along with films ranging from student to feature, Chicago members also celebrated the renewal of the Starz original series Boss, set and shot here.

Stunt players in Ohio stayed busy on several projects including The Avengers and Boot Tracks.


On the set of the Avengers, shot in Ohio. L to R: Stunt players Tom Quinn, John Sundquist, Captain America Chris Evans, Richard Fike and Todd Emmett.

Rosie O’Donnell on the set at Harpo Studios.

Marty Ingels and Shirley Jones (center) on the set of Strange Kind of Happy filmed in Ohio. Dust of War’s Doug Jones, shot in South Dakota.

John Lawson in Ohio production, Measure.

The Midwest Independent Film Festival honored ,Dennis Farina, Meredith Droeger, and and director Joe Maggio for The Last Rites of Joe May. Photo by J. Brown Photography


In a nutshell: A UPM is hired by the producers to oversee all budgetary aspects of a production once it has been green-lit. The UPM has no creative input and is responsible for all day-to-day mechanics of filming.

Richard Lederer (UPM, AD) is a familiar face to Chicago film-making. A graduate of Boston University with graduate work at Loyola Marymount, he has no interest whatsoever in acting and is in awe of the process actors go through. “I can’t do that,” he admits, “I can’t even imagine how you go about trying to create someone you’re not.”

Rich strongly supports SAG-AFTRA actors. “In front of the camera is where it really counts to have professional, experienced people,” he says. “What is the point of spending all that money on a film, a commercial, if you can’t flesh out what’s on the page with good acting? And from my experience, most experienced actors are union.”

Rich has been in Chicago for 20 years as a UPM and 1st and 2nd ADs (Assistant Director). “To survive in Chicago,” he says, “you’ve got to wear many hats,” which he admits parallels the local actors’ life, in which actors do print, voice overs, industrials, commercials, and so on. Beginning his professional career in Los Angeles, he worked for nine years as an AD and joined the DGA (Director’s Guild of America), before returning to his home, Chicago, where he continued working as an AD and then UPM. (UPM’s are members of the DGA, unlike executive producers or producers. Rich sits on the local DGA’s disciplinary committee.)

“Once a production is green-lit, I can start negotiating and hiring production heads and let them get to work. I don’t mandate who gets hired, but I do look at who is being considered, making sure we have the proper qualifications and attention to diversity.”

Though he enjoys features, the majority of his work has been on episodic television, including Chicago Code, ER, Early Edition, and The Beast. “Episodics are very fast-paced with lower budgets than features, generally,” he said. “Everything is under a time crunch: while you’re working on one episode you’re prepping the next, so it’s all being juggled simultaneously. Features are one project: it’s been planned from the beginning so there are fewer surprises.”

Rich believes the best thing about the local talent pool is: “Diversity,

young, old, real people, real faces, character actors – people who aren’t the LA types. I love it when local actors get bumped up from extra to a day player, or a regular – I’d much rather see that happen than bring someone in from the coast.

“Chicago is a community, a neighborhood, a supportive network of artists who work toward doing the best they can. Nobody moves here for acting: they’re from here. They’ve chosen to live here over

LA or New York. To be able to live in the city of your choice and do what you love is huge – and you should embrace that. And by embracing that you’re embracing the good and bad – dry spells. Our dry spells have no correlation to the economy. I applaud anyone who sticks around here instead of going to LA or New York: it’s not an easy decision. For me, Chicago is home. By embracing that, you have to embrace the island mentality of waiting for a project to come.”

When asked how much contact the UPM would have with the actors on set, he says, “Not much. The producers contact casting directors for the principal actors, so I have no involvement in that. However, I can inform the producers who the local extras casting agents are – and they can decide who to bring in and interview. But insofar

as directly dealing with an actor and background performers – not much. Actors are involved in the creative world of production: the UPM isn’t. I’m the money guy – the guy overseeing the budget, what is allocated where, making sure the production heads turn in their budgets to me on time.”

He paused a second before adding, “I’m not the accountant. Accountants are sometimes guys in LA who do budgets and have never been on set: they have no idea what happens, and this bean-counting impinges on the creative process. But – it is a business – and the bean-counters don’t especially care about the creative side especially in TV. Features embrace a bit more creativity. Television is about getting the dialogue out, it’s word-driven – whereas features are more visual, more creative. Contrary to what you’d think, in episodics the director is not the primary decision-maker – the producers are. That’s because the producers stay the same throughout the series, whereas directors may be hired for one or two episodes – so the producers are the ones calling the shots.”

Not the UPM? “Definitely not the UPM,” he sighed.

WHO’S ON SET: UPM (Unit Production Manager) by Jay Disney

THE INDUSTRY

Richard Lederer

Th e campaign to raise $1.5 million to create an endowment fund to support the activities and services of the Kaufherr Members Resource Center is in full swing. We have raised nearly $390,000 toward the $1.5 million goal. We also reported in the last issue of Playback that former Executive Director Eileen Willenborg has issued a $50,000 challenge grant — she will match dollar-for-dollar every pledge made since September up to $50,000. We shouldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Your pledge will be doubled with Eileen’s matching grant.

Th e endowment fund will support and continually update the KMRC, its training programs, the computer center, and the video and audio studios. Th e fund will be

I PLEDGE

TO ENDOW!

$___________ Total 3-year Pledge Amount

Name: _________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________

_______________________________________________

City: __________________ ST: _____ ZIP: _____________

Phone: _________________________________________

E-mail: _________________________________________

SAG ___________ AFTRA ___________ AEA ___________

* Please mark all that apply.

Choose the option that works for you!I choose to endow the KMRC in one lump sum and agree to pay the above amount.

I choose to commit to a 3-year pledge. My payments will be divided in three equal payments, and I would like to be reminded when my next payment is due.

I choose to commit to my pledge monthly. Please charge my credit card $________ on the 1st of month, for the next three years.

Please fi nd my check made out to KMRC, Inc. enclosed.

Please charge my credit card according to the option I selected above: MC, VISA, AMEX

CC# __________________________________________

Expires ____________________ Sec. Code ___________

Signed ________________________________________

Billing address same as above Y or N** If no, please include your billing address with this card.KMRC, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profi t organization.

KMRC


THE KMRC – IT WORKS FOR ME!

I PLEDGE

TO ENDOW!

1.

2.

3.

Todd Hissong, Richard Hatfi eld (KMRC Development Director) and Eileen Willenborg.

1000 members x $1

a day x 3-year pledge = 1 Million Dollars

carefully invested, and the interest and dividends it yields will pay the KMRC’s $60,000 annual costs and keep it available FREE to all AFTRA/SAG/AEA members.

While the annual operating budget is signifi cant, if the 6,000 Chicago members had to rent studio time or pay for the training they now can access for free, all combined they would pay signifi cantly more than $60,000. If the unions had to rent space for the Conservatory each month or for membership meetings or for committee activities — it would add signifi cant expenses to Chicago’s annual budget.

If 1,000 members pledge $1 per day for three years, we would raise more than $1.1 million. Most of us spend a dollar a day on something frivolous — why not dedicate a buck a day to keeping the KMRC open and free for decades to come?

If you haven’t made your three-year tax-deductible pledge to support the KMRC, please do yourself, your fellow union performers and all the future SAG-AFTRA members a favor and make a pledge today! You may donate online at kmrcchicago.com and click on the donate button, or send the pledge card on this page to AFTRA/SAG at One East Erie St., Suite 650, Chicago, IL 60611. If you pay by check, please make it out to the KMRC Endowment Fund.

IN AGREEMENT


What is the Exhibit E Commercial Audition Report form? When attending a commercial audition, you will be asked to sign in by filling out the SAG/AFTRA Commercial Audition Report form, otherwise known as Exhibit E. The casting director (or associate) will provide details about the production in the top half of the Exhibit E. The middle section labeled “To Be Completed by Performers” should be filled out by you. The boxes on the right side that ask you to identify your sex, age, ethnicity and whether you have a disability (on the form it says “PWD”) are NOT mandatory. You have the option to volunteer that information if you choose, but rest assured that this information will NOT be used for hiring purposes — that is a violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, not to mention federal and state anti-discrimination and harassment laws. The producer, casting director or anyone else hired by the producer, are not allowed to use the information on this form regarding your self-identified sex, age, ethnicity, disability or any other characteristic protected by equal employment opportunity laws to make their hiring decision. This information is for Screen Actors Guild or AFTRA internal use only.

Why is Exhibit E important? Beyond the information you provide on the Exhibit E form that identifies you in terms of your name and Social Security number (it’s recommended that you use your membership number instead of your Social Security number), and the time you arrived and left the audition, the demographic information asked for on the form offers a vital snapshot of the categories of performers who are being auditioned and potentially hired for commercials. It gives your union a clearer picture about hiring trends. SAG and AFTRA programs and initiatives can better serve you if we understand your experiences as you pursue your career as a performer. While it is your choice whether you let the producers and/or advertising agency know the specifics of who you are, we encourage you to fill out the form in its entirety.

Is this form only for commercial auditions? Yes. No other SAG or AFTRA production uses a form of this kind during the audition process. If you are asked to fill out a form like this for anything other than a commercial audition, please contact the SAG Affirmative Action & Diversity Department by calling (323) 549-6644 or (212) 827-1542, or via email at [email protected] or AFTRA’s Equal Employment Opportunities Department at (323) 634-8100.

Visiting Minnesota SAGIn November, SAG Chicago Branch President Ilyssa Fradin, Executive Director Eric Chaudron and Director of Television/Theatrical Kathy Byrne visited members in one of the represented regions — Minnesota. A lot of outreach took place in two days, which included a member meet-and-greet.

There was a small but vocal group of union actors who wanted to listen and to be heard. The Minnesota SAG office — like several others — closed several years ago as part of SAG’s reorganization. Minnesota SAG members now rely on the Chicago-based SAG-AFTRA office staff for everything SAG. Members attending the meeting expressed their frustration in feeling abandoned, along with their concern about the increase of non-union production.

The goal in visiting Minnesota, as with Missouri and soon Ohio, is to give members the tools to stay informed, (including The Activator), the means to get the answers they need from their Council rep, and the help they deserve by freely contacting their staff. Every union actor IS the union, and needs to know they have the ability and support to speak up and protect their work.

Byrne spent a couple of days in Minnesota meeting with acting students from the University of Minnesota and MSU Mankato, and film students from Minneapolis School of Art and Design and MSU Mankato. She also had the opportunity to meet with agents from Moore Creative Talent and The Wehmann Agency. Both agents were very positive about the talent they represent, concerned about the amount of non-union work in the market, and very pro-union.

AFTRA Chicago Honors Janet Davies

At January’s annual membership meeting, Janet was honored for her extraordinary career and the 500th episode of 190 North—a Chicago television milestone. Pictured with Craig Dellimore and Paul Meinke.


NEWSWORTHY

Although much of what AFTRA does day-to-day is working to improve “bread-and-butter” conditions like wages, health insurance and retirement security, the union has always been dedicated to elevating the standards of the broadcast profession as well. To that end, the Chicago Broadcast Department is presenting its first Professional Development Conference to be held on Saturday, April 21, 2012. The conference is open to all AFTRA members and will be an opportunity to network with colleagues from other stations and job classifications.

The highlight of the conference is expected to be a presentation by Judith Matloff of the International News Safety Institute on ways reporters can stay safe in situations of civil unrest (see sidebar article). Other topics include maximizing the potential of social media while retaining ownership of your online identity, successfully negotiating personal service agreements, the legal rights of union members, understanding AFTRA Health and Retirement benefits, and topics of interest to those employed in TV, radio, music and news, those on-air and those behind the scenes.

Conference details are being finalized. Watch your email for additional information or call the Chicago Broadcast Department, (312) 573-8081.

Broadcast ConferenceAlthough the winter weather may have “cooled off” some of the heat generated by Occupy Chicago last fall, things probably won’t stay that way for long. This spring, Chicago will host both the G8 and NATO summits, which are anticipated to draw thousands of protesters to the city and which may result in violent confrontations with police. The meetings of world political and military leaders will be held just days apart in May. AFTRA members covering these stories need to be prepared in order to avoid the fate of their counterparts who have been detained by police or injured covering the similar Occupy protests around the country. According to Natasha Lennard, North American project officer for International News Safety Institute (INSI - www.newssafety.org), 26 journalists have been arrested covering the Occupy protests.

The INSI is a journalist support group that focuses on practical solutions to help journalists in danger of all kinds to “survive the story.”

“You don’t have to be a high-flying war correspondent to be in a dangerous situation,” said INSI Deputy Director Hannah Storm, speaking to a conference in New York City. Violent clashes with police occurred at the comparable Free Trade Area of the Americas summit in Miami in 2003 and at the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Seattle in 1999. Terrorists targeted the G8 Summit in London in 2005, detonating bombs on London Underground trains, killing 52 civilians and injuring 700 people.

The effects of police batons, pepper spray and tear gas grenades are well known by reporters, but methods to minimize the danger less so. The INSI will provide timely advice based on real-world experience in some of the world’s hot spots as part of the Chicago Broadcast Department’s Professional Development conference to be held April 21, 2012.

Judith MatloffJudith Matloff worked as a staff foreign correspondent for 20 years, specializing in areas of turmoil. She covered a total 62 countries, heading the Africa and Moscow bureaus of The Christian Science Monitor. Previously, Matloff spent a decade at Reuters in various positions in Europe and Africa. She has reported on major world matters including apartheid’s demise, genocide, EU expansion and OPEC.

Matloff has written for The New York Times, The Economist, The Dallas Morning News and Newsweek. Her various awards include a Fulbright fellowship to Mexico and The Monitor’s highest prize, the Godsell, for stories about Congo’s conflict. Matloff won a MacArthur grant to write a book about Angola’s civil war, Fragments of a Forgotten


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GET INVOLVED

It was in December 1997 that the SAG-AFTRA Senior Radio Players offered their first radio re-creation to a live audience, a terrifying half-hour fantasy written by Arch Oboler. Their venue was the vest pocket-sized audience studio in the old Chicago Museum of Broadcasting, then located on the first floor of the Chicago Cultural Center.

The performance was prompted by discussion in the Seniors Committee. It was suggested that the members go public with re-creations of old-time radio shows, inviting agents and ad agency creatives to be in the audience, in the hopes of convincing them that the professional fire was still burning in the Players bellies. With the help of Chuck Schaden, the SAG-AFTRA Senior Radio Players were launched on a miniscule two-productions-per-year schedule.

It’s impossible to know how many talent-buyers came to those early shows. However, almost immediately the group’s emphasis shifted from auditioning, as it were, to turning out the best productions possible. And when the play became the thing, the Players were offered a larger and lovelier space — the very comfy 294-seat Claudia Cassidy Theater, also in the Cultural Center. A Steering Committee was established to seek out excellent scripts, develop directors and producers, and comply with a performance schedule that rose to five productions a year, every one with a sound effects team and many with live music.

The SAG-AFTRA Senior Radio Players are rather proud of their career statistics: 97 performers involved in re-creating 86 shows that represent the best in old-time radio. Not all of them were staged in the Cultural Center; the Players have been on the road also — at the Illinois State Fair, the Hines VA Hospital, St. Ignatus School, the AFTRA convention in Chicago and Millennium Park. The success of the Radio Players has been noticed by folks in other markets, and the group has always said yes to requests for advice on getting started.

The motivation that drives the Players is the nostalgic material they bring to life; the scripts thatdrew millions of listeners to their living room radios. Many of the Players remember programs that thrilled and delighted them, and now they were involved in restoring them in the manner in which they were originally performed, but always in front of a live audience — and a full house at that.

Holding on to the past? Maybe. But the richest part of the experience for the Players is that they are part of an acting company that provides creative material often as challenging and entertaining as any written today.

Fourteen Years - and Counting

Senior Radio Players

by Herb Graham

The Arts Speak Labor’s Language

I was electrified by a play the other night. There are many occasions when I admire and am moved by fellow actors’ performances, but often the material leaves me dissatisfied. Not so with The Pitmen Painters, by Lee Hall, author of Billy Elliot. The story is a mostly true one, set in far northeastern England in the early 1930s. A group of coal miners take a worker-organized art appreciation class that takes them far beyond their original intentions. Some of the real pit men took up paintbrushes and created a stunning collection of quality work that captured life in their mining village. The Ashington Group, as they became known, made a courageous venture into the world of socialites, galleries and exhibitions — a world previously deemed not for them. The play explores not only artistic discovery and the world of ideas but also the folly of rigid class structure and inequality.

For me, the play also addresses the unique power of groups, the political nature of everyday life, and the relationship between art and work. These touching and believable characters, often humorously rooted in their own small time and place, moved to higher planes of thinking by wrangling over their beliefs and facing new challenges together. The material excited me because it reaffirmed my own notions of group dynamics, gave me some new food for thought and was a terrific evening at the theater in every way.

This production was part of the Illinois Labor History Society’s 2011 Union Hall of Honor Induction Service. I was there to represent AFTRA and SAG members. SAG Chicago Councilor Bill Dick was one of the eight cast members, and all-union activist Alma Washington, a previous honoree herself, moderated the proceedings.

But the real star of the evening was the Illinois Labor History Society; it tells the stories of our heroes, preserving and presenting powerful images of the overlooked contributions working people make to our society. The solidarity of organized labor the ILHS both inspires and records is evident: The event’s program booklet features support from AFTRA/SAG on the inside cover, and the rest of the book is a who’s who of local and statewide labor unions and associations. The Society chose a brilliant piece of theater as its means of expression this time, and its continuing emphasis on the arts as messengers of our ideals is one reason I support them. Check it out at illinoislaborhistory.org.

We union performing artists are not so different from other kinds of workers — and just look at the inspiration and joy our work and activism bring to everyman! The arts are as air or water to me, and are to you, too, I know. I loved my night at the theater and know without doubt that labor activism has hugely enriched my life and put me in that theater seat where ideas and fancy collide. Thank you, SAG-AFTRA and the Illinois Labor History Society!

by Nancy Sellers


BackgroundJay DisneyJanuary SternBroadcast SteeringCraig DellimoreCOCOIlyssa FradinSingersWendy MorganKMRC Elaine Opsitnik Michael Joseph Thomas Ward

Committee Chairs Standing Committees

aFtraLOCaL OFFICERSCraig Dellimore, PresidentRichard Steele, 1st Vice PresidentRichard Shavzin, 2nd Vice PresidentCraig J. Harris, 3rd Vice President Joe Wright, TreasurerJudy Blue, Recording Secretary

NaTIONaL BOaRD Dan FrickNancy SellersCraig Dellimore, National Vice President

BOaRD OF DIRECTORSBernie allenPaula anglinBob BaronBrenda BarrieTony CastilloCharlotte Davisallen EdgeGeorge ElliotDan FrickVince GerasoleHerb GrahamRazz JenkinsDick KayDennis KellyDaniel Mooney

saGBRaNCH OFFICERSIlyssa Fradin, PresidentRegan Rohde, 1st Vice PresidentCraig J. Harris, 2nd Vice PresidentMichael Joseph Thomas Ward Recording Secretary

NaTIONaL BOaRDJohn Carter BrownTodd Hissong

CHICaGO BRaNCH COUNCILRoslyn alexanderBob BaronLacy Katherine CampbellWilliam DickJay DisneyGeorge ElliotMolly GlynnMartin HalacyJane McCreedyGrace McPhillips

Wendy MorganGreta PopeHarry PorterfieldKathleen Puls andradeGail RastorferZandra RiveraMalcolm RothmanNancy SellersJack ShawTammy SouzaRichard SteeleDon StroupPat Vern-HarrisBetsey Means WillsJoe Wright

Elaine OpsitnikNancy SellersStephen SpencerMaureen W. Steindleralma Washingtonann Wilkinson (Ia)Peter Moore (MN)Matthew O’Toole (MO)John W. Lawson (OH)

playbaCk CoverCover design by Chicago SAG-AFTRA member Jay Disney.

DiversityTony CastilloCedric YoungEmerging MediaRazz JenkinsSeniors Radio PlayersConnie FosterParker GronwoldConservatoryStephen Spenceralma Washington

A Piece of the Pie = Outreach!Last July and August, as part of Chicago AFTRA/SAG’s organizing initiative, some 60 non-union working actors attended at least one session of the series of informational seminars at the KMRC about the business side of acting.

The eight sessions, called Piece of the Pie: Know What You Deserve and How to Get It, were developed by Chicago member Grace McPhillips with the support of Chicago AFTRA/SAG staff and the participation of other SAG council, AFTRA board members and working union actors.

In keeping with the “Piece of the Pie” theme, pizza, along with a different flavor pie, homemade by AFTRA/SAG member Jane McCreedy, was served each week.

Piece of the Pie: Know What You Deserve and How to Get It!Representation and Opportunities1. Moderated by Anne Jacques, with guest panelists Dawn Gray of Gray Talent, Joan Sparks of Stewart Talent and Vanessa Lanier of Grossman Jack.

Contracts2. Moderated by Todd Hissong, with guest panelists Jolene Jones and Jamie Marchi of Chicago AFTRA/SAG, Jerry Glover of Leavens, Stand, Glover & Adler, LLC.

Building the Future or Digging Your own Grave3. Moderated by Mary Kay Cook, with guest panelists Kathy Nelsen and Andy Larson of Chicago AFTRA/SAG, Chicago Branch SAG President Ilyssa Fradin and CPA John Valleau.

Climbing the Ladder and Securing Your View From the Top4. Moderated by Grace McPhillips, with guest panelists Dev Kennedy and Craig Harris

Benefits and Beyond5. Moderated by Richard Shavzin, with benefits expert Joel Babbitt, SAG P&H Fund Trustee John Carter Brown and actor Mike Ward.

Many Ways to Skin a Cat: Intimate Conversations with Working Actors in 6. ChicagoModerated by Nancy Sellers, with Jeff Garretson, Courtney Rioux, Jay Disney, Norm Woodel, Mary Kay Cook, Tony Castillo and Alma Washington

Flipping a Job7. Moderated by Grace McPhillips, with Charles Duke of Spotlight Payroll and Terri Schnaubelt

Mythbusting8. Moderated by Steve Scholz

The series proved so popular with the pre-union actors that a third of the original 60 volunteered for the Discovery Squad, a workers’ committee intent on advancing the interests of the Chicago acting community.

More Piece of the Pie sessions for pre-union actors are planned for 2012, and we are developing a similar series for our SAG-AFTRA members.

ORGANIZING


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SAG AWARDS PARTY

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Chicago Celebrates the SAG Awards!

SAG and AFTRA members along with their guests gathered to celebrate and watch the 18th Annual Screen Actors

Guild Awards on January 29. The party was held at SUB 51 at HUB 51.

Photos by Monika Pawlak

Split-the-Cash raffle winner Bob Baron immediately donated his winning to the KMRC. Thank you, Bob!

Due to the efforts of the persuasive Brian Rooney, ticket sales for the Split-the-Cash raffle benefiting the KMRC reached $880!

Young performer China Gray enjoyed the event with her mother, Brenda Nelson.

From left: Ashley Dearborn, Stacey Elaine, Bob Baron, Valerie Banks, Greg Cervantez,and Jay Disney. In front: Ilyssa Fradin and January Stern.


Ah Residuals!Ten years ago, I had a small part in a movie called Road to Perdition. I worked only two days and made a good chunk of change on the shoot. First day was scale. I was also paid for the three weeks in between that day and the second day

of shooting. As it turned out, my fi rst day’s scene was in the movie. Well, I’m in the scene for no more than 30 seconds and without dialogue.I have been collecting residuals for that 30 second scene since 2002, all because I’m a member of Screen

Actors Guild. Whoever was involved in making sure actors receive residuals should be applauded.

These were people with foresight who wanted to make sure union actors were taken care of. Don’t take this for granted. They fought for you. Anyway, that 30-second scene has already netted me fi ve fi gures and continues to grow.

George J. Manisco, proud SAG member

The Betty Mitchell Sick and Benefi t FundMy unions have off ered me lifelines that have meant everything to my success and well-being. The Betty Mitchell Sick & Benefi t Fund is one of those, and helped me when I was in desperate need. Named for a long-ago AFTRA Chicago staff er famous for opening her own purse to help members buy audition shoes, the Betty Mitchell Fund assisted me during my late husband’s illness, and even paid for his funeral. What can I say? I am so moved and grateful for this vibrant union community and the Betty Mitchell Fund. Please donate!

Mary Jo Faraci, member since 1980

What would my tomorrows be if I did not have my SAG, AFTRA and AEA pensions?Although I earned each and every dollar that was contributed to my pensions, I am exceedingly grateful for the trustees’ care in negotiations over the years. In these precarious months of our economy, I know that my retirement sustenance is enhanced and secure. Not only is our profession as performers the ride of a lifetime, but as we move toward the remaining working years, we are protected against the scarcity of roles and the graying of lustrous locks. I do not know another group of Americans in the workplace that can claim this smooth transition to another phase of endeavor. My sincere gratitude

goes to you, our great performer unions.

Shirley VenardActor, Adjunct Teacher and FormerNational Vice President of AFTRATwin Cities, Minnesota

ScholarshipsThere have been countless benefi ts of my union membership over the many years I’ve been privileged to be a working actor. Most signifi cant for me and my family have been AFTRA’s George Heller Memorial Fund Scholarship and SAG’s John L. Dales Scholarship.

My son Kyle received assistance from AFTRA’s scholarship and was able to enjoy a life changing year abroad studying in Japan.

My daughter Audrey fell in love with Boston University and with the help of The Dales Scholarship, she is able to attend her dream school. Work the perks of your membership! The benefi ts extend way beyond the set.

Jane McCreedy, AFTRA and SAG member

BENEFITS


1

CHICAGO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Eric Chaudron

AFTRA LOCAL PRESIDENT

Craig Dellimore

We are going places! As I write this, I can’t help but take stock of an amazing event-filled 2011 for Chicago AFTRA/SAG. It started and ended with a flurry of activity and never stopped in between. Moreover, it shows no sign of stopping.

We started the year off our with a Chicago celebration of the SAG Awards, where President Ken Howard proclaimed the — until then — unimaginable goal. He declared that the shared objective of both institutions was that SAG and AFTRA would announce a successful merger by the 2012 SAG Awards. While this goal has not yet been reached, the progress made is amazing and exciting. We are one step away: The members must now vote yes to make it happen.

President Roberta Reardon, true to her nature as a tireless leader, made creating a new union a priority for AFTRA. She, Howard and SAG Secretary Treasurer Amy Aquino crisscrossed the country on a listening tour. Then they plunged themselves into merger meetings for the second half of the year.

As a participant in the process, I have been extremely heartened to see groups of people with very dissimilar views of how a new union should look come together for the larger goal of making it an organization that works for all members. A great deal of work was done and it has taken up a large proportion of my time, along with

that of Chicago delegates to the G1 (the name given to the new union/merger taskforce).

We put in hundreds of hours to make sure the voices of all members nationwide were heard. Your representatives gave a great effort to make sure Chicago was represented at all times. None of us missed a chance to tell the rest of the G1 members that Chicago already works like one union. We are an example of how it works when the good of the membership is put ahead of any one individual.

What I have learned about Chicago in my almost two years here is that there is a spirit of cooperation among the people that live here. Neighbors look out for one another. The young look after the experienced among us, and in return the experienced impart consistency, tradition and wisdom to the young. That is especially true of our unions. We take care of each other, watch out for one another.

With that in mind, your representatives on G1 have shown by word, deed and example how two unions can come together as one. The final SAG-AFTRA One Union proposal that emerged reflects that no one’s interest has been ignored, dismissed or neglected.

The final document reflects tens of thousands of member-hours dedicated to addressing thousands of issues and individual concerns related to bringing these two organizations together. The process sought to reach, not a majority vote approval, but actual consensus. I encourage you to read the final merger document, ask questions, and then follow the AFTRA and SAG national boards and approve this plan. Your YES vote guarantees SAG-AFTRA professionals the strongest union representation possible.

There are a lot of members looking for answers as AFTRA prepares for the possible formation of a new union with Screen Actors Guild. And, many of those answers can be found online at SAGAFTRA.org. The SAG-AFTRA Merger Agreement, a constitution for the new union, and more are available. These documents outline how creating one union will increase all our bargaining leverage, and improve our ability to organize. You can read how one union can protect our health and retirement benefits. The structure of the new union and details of the negotiations to create the plan for a successor union are also included.


SAG BRANCH PRESIDENT

Ilyssa Fradin

Where does the time go? It seems like yesterday I was celebrating the holidays with my family and friends and ringing in 2012! As I refl ect on everything SAG Chicago and our sister union AFTRA has accomplished over this year, I can’t tell you how overwhelming it feels to actually be writing to you during a time when the merger of SAG and AFTRA is right in front of us.

But before I get ahead of myself, it’s important to acknowledge some of what happened in our Branch this past year. We sponsored many industry events, including the WIF Focus Awards, at which franchised agent Linda Jack was honored, and the AICP Road Show, where member John Hoogenakker was featured for best performance. Many Chicago members worked on the highly acclaimed SAG show Boss, renewed by Starz and returning this spring. I had the pleasure of personally meeting members in Minnesota. Our staff continues to meet with franchised agents, as well as fi lmmakers and students in Chicago and in Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. Th en there are our eff orts in freelance organizing, outreach

and education, which have brought some really positive results. We hosted more events — free to members — in the KMRC than in any other year. And, how can I forget this awesome, newly designed magazine, Playback. Th is publication is successful because members like you and staff work together creatively to provide the information we need to be smarter union for actors. I hope you have enjoyed the magazine and will consider contributing ideas in the future. We’d love to hear from you.

In addition, over this past year, a group of diverse and dedicated SAG and AFTRA members, known as the G1 (Group for One Union), met monthly or sometimes weekly and daily. We gathered in person or by teleconference and video conference. Collectively and openly, we worked to create a merger plan for SAG and AFTRA to fi nally become ONE UNION. Our progress, although confi dential in details, was posted throughout on both unions’ websites. Th e work was hard. Members displayed reason and passion, and in the end we reached consensus. Now I ask you to educate yourself. Read the documents

online at SAGAFTRA.org, attend an informational meeting happening at your union offi ce and please, VOTE YES!

VOTE YES, not because I say to, but because we the members deserve to be UNIFIED at the negotiating table, UNIFIED in organizing and UNIFIED in benefi ts eligibility. I won’t promise you this will fi x everything, but I can promise you it is necessary and we need it to remain strong within our industry.

Peacefully and unifi ed,Ilyssa Fradin

It was very hard work crafting the plan on which members of AFTRA and SAG will vote. Just about every possible idea about structure, governance, staffi ng, collective bargaining, health and retirement was discussed and considered. While the process was underway, the members of the Group for One Union—better known as G1—pledged to keep the facts of their detailed and sometimes diffi cult talks confi dential. Now the full plan is crafted, available at SAGAFTRA.org and is being mailed to members on February 27.

Past experience and present conversations have shown the two biggest questions on members minds as they consider

the new union are: “How will creation of a new union aff ect my pension and health benefi ts?” and “Will my dues go up?” In fact there is no answer to the fi rst question just yet. Th ere cannot be one. As you may know, the AFTRA and SAG pensions and health programs are separate entities from the unions themselves, and they are governed by their own boards of trustees. Th ey cannot decide on any ideas of combining the plans until there is an actual joining of the two unions. But federal law mandates that—in almost every circumstance—members’ benefi ts cannot be reduced….and the assets of one plan cannot be used to subsidize the other plan. Regardless, any real decisions are well

down the road. Th e answer to the second most popular question—about dues—is answered in the merger documents. Rest assured, the concerns of members about dues were heard.

It was important to allow members ample time to examine the plan, to discuss and debate it, before the vote is due on March 30. Th is process began with a “listening tour” and now members can attend one of the informational meetings to discuss the terms of the proposed SAG-AFTRA new union. Chicago has scheduled three with the fi nal set for 6 p.m. March 12 at the KMRC. Th ere will be time for Q&A, so please bring your questions.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISIONAND RADIO ARTISTS/CHICAGO LOCALSCREEN ACTORS GUILD/CHICAGO BRANCHONE EAST ERIE SUITE 650CHICAGO, IL 60611

Offi ce: 312/573-8081Fax: 312/573-0318 800/599-1675Email: [email protected] SAG.org DATED MATERIAL

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Chicago Playback, Winter 2012

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