From SAG Chicago Members
Steve Downes and Liz Zweifler...

January 15, 2006

Alan Rosenberg, President
Screen Actors Guild
5757 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Mr. Rosenberg:

You ask us to give you and the duly elected board members the length of your terms to fulfill your promises. We submit to you that the membership does not have that luxury. A misstep in negotiations now, (certainly in the upcoming commercials contract) could literally spell the end of our union. Recent actions that you have taken have created great cause for alarm. For example:

1. Your very first action as president of our union was to violate the basic tenet that ANY union fights for: HONORING A CONTRACT! The firing of Greg Hessinger was a slap in the face to members who have given you the privilege of leading our union.
2. The obvious censoring of 2nd Vice President Paul Christie’s letter in Screen Actor.
3. Lastly, the questionable (and possibly illegal) use of email addresses in support of your election.

These actions do not instill trust.

Here in Chicago, we have seen a rise in non-union work in the commercials area as a result of the strike of 2000. We are not fretting over “give backs and roll backs,” our concerns are getting back (or more realistically, keeping) the business we had prior to the strike!

The JPC’s request for a one-year extension to research our current contracts (http://ana.blogs.com/liodice/2005/12/qa_with_doug_wo.html) is welcome to us and we strongly urge you to appoint a geographically representative committee to work in tandem with the JPC to move this process along as partners in this very important work. The world of advertising is changing at break neck speeds and we need contracts that move with it. However you may feel about the JPC, they are our clients and we would therefore like to work with them not against them. This is an opportunity for a fresh start, and a sign that SAG intends to enter the commercials contract negotiations in good faith. WE MUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY.

To date your presidency has served to further polarize an already divided union during one of the most difficult times in the history of organized labor. You were elected by a minority of the voting membership using questionable tactics and have a very long way to go and a very short time to get there before you can even ask for our trust and support.

Sincerely,

Steve Downes
Liz Zweifler
Proud SAG Members
Chicago, IL