SAG-AFTRA SAN FRANCISCO-NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LOCAL
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Co-Presidents’ Report
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National Board Report
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Audiobooks
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Broadcast Notes
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AUGUST 2013
Co-Presidents’ Report Maria Leticia Gomez
Contract Corner
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Staff Changes
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Committee Reports
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Of Note
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Photo Gallery
11
New Members
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SAG-AFTRA SAN FRANCISCONORTHERN CALIFORNIA LOCAL 350 SANSOME
I am sad to report that my term as co-president ends on August 15, as I chose not to run for office again. It has been a privilege to serve this local through the merger process and I will continue to help in whatever capacity is needed. Congratulations to the recently elected national board members, local officers and local board members: National Board: Denny Delk, Performer Bob Butler, Broadcaster Officers: Kathryn Howell, President Michael Pechner, Vice President Broadcast Ed Vasgersian, Vice-President Performer
STREET,SUITE 900 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 P:(415) 391-7510 FX:(415)391-1108
sf@sagaftra.org www.sagaftra.org/SF Facebook
EDITOR: Len Egert DESIGN: Vicki Balich
Local Board Members: Charlie Holliday, Performer Kathryn Howell, Performer Robert Cure, Performer Mark Jones, Broadcast Michael Pechner, Broadcast Micci Toliver, Performer Phillip Ramirez, Performer Talaria Haast, Performer Tom Chantler, Performer Convention Delegates: Charlie Holliday Continues on next page
Kathryn Howell During the initial transition period of our merged union, SAG-AFTRA, it has been my great pleasure to serve alongside Maria Leticia Gomez as co-presidents of the San Francisco-Northern California Local. Leticia has served our members well and has been a great asset to our union, on both the local and national levels. I thank Leticia for her untiring dedication, savvy judgment, wise spirit and delightful wit! Good News: As many of you know, there has been an uptick in projects shooting or slated to shoot in San Francisco and Northern California. Quitters, an indie film starring Mira Sorvino, Graham Germann and Saffron Burrows was in town in July, and cast at least 21 principal roles. About A Boy (NBC), which is set in San Francisco and shot the pilot here, has been picked up. It is not yet clear how much will be shot in Northern California. HBO has ordered eight episodes of the new Untitled Michael Lannan Project, a San Francisco-set series about a group of gay friends starring Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett. Casting is underway, and they will begin shooting this fall in San Francisco. TNT will be in town shooting a Steven Bochco pilot, Murder in the First, at the end of September. Big Eyes, a Tim Burton feature, will be shooting a few days at the Continues on next page
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Leticia Gomez cont’d from page 1
Mark Jones Matt Cates Michael Pechner Phillip Ramirez The newly elected officers and board members will be installed in mid-August. On a different note, I would like to personally thank Karen Lipney for her 22 years of service to AFTRA, SAG and then SAG-AFTRA. Karen's dedication to our union, her fierce belief in organized labor, her remarkable intelligence, and her passion for social justice made her a strong advocate for the San Francisco Local members. Because of her years of experience, Karen became the go-to person for absolutely everything in our local. Karen, in my view, was one of the finest employees in our union ― one who shined not only as a professional, but also as a friend and a mentor to so many of us. You'll be sorely missed, Karen.
Kathryn Howell - cont’d from page 1
end of August, and will utilize about 125 background roles. Planet of the Apes’ second unit was in San Francisco for three days and hired about 25 background. In continuing efforts to encourage local casting for these and other projects, the Communications Committee has created online and hard-copy promotional material for use by local film commissions and for listings in the Reel Directory. We continue to network, both within our local community and with incoming productions, and look for every opportunity to promote our fine talent. On a serious note, we are sad to lose the services of one of our finest, Karen Lipney, who has been instrumental in serving members for 22 years. Many appreciation events for Karen have been planned, both by the SAG-AFTRA board and by supporters in the community. We are all grateful for her dedication and hard work over these many years. We wish her all the best, and hope she will continue to be part of our community in her future endeavors. She will always be a part of our hearts! Karen was responsible for this newsletter in recent years, and thus a nod to her extreme contribution seems appropriate here.
National Board Report - Tom Chantler Brave New World Change can be painful. We all know that. In the afterglow of merger, hope reigned, as we all looked forward to a more functional, streamlined, inclusive and effective union experience. The task at hand is a historic one: to craft the model of the modern American labor union. At a time when traditional models of labor organization have crumbled or been legislated out of existence, the entertainment unions dug deep and began the process of forging a new union. What does a new American union in the post-labor era look like? The answer to that lies in the vision held by our collective leadership. Real leadership doesn’t please everyone all the time. The assurance of positive forward momentum on many fronts can get lost in the unfortunate fallout of our recent restructuring. The vote in the boardroom that day was somber. No one wanted to vote yes on the budget that contained such dire restructuring directives. Some board members begrudgingly accepted the necessity of fixing our structural deficit. The simple truth is that it had to be fixed or everyone loses. I voted no in the hope that a different sacrifice could be made and time could be bought. At this point, we all know how that vote went. We lost beloved and important staff. Some locals lost their brick-and-mortar offices altogether. But we cannot let the painful aspects of restructuring cloud our path forward. As the wise and thoughtful Frank Du Charme once told me, “It won’t always be this way.” The good inherent in any restructuring is that every system within the organization is put under the microscope, every procedure scrutinized and either justified, modified or done away with. Yes, that can be painful, but when that process is done, what’s left is what we were after the whole time. What we have to do now is to look a little further than our headlights can see. To a new American union, that may just be the model followed by other beleaguered labor unions. Solidarity indeed.
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AUDIOBOOK PANEL IN BERKELEY A SUCCESS More than 130 SAG-AFTRA San Francisco – Northern California Local members paid rapt attention to an excellent audiobooks panel held at La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley, California on May 21, 2013. Nationally acclaimed audiobook narrators Simon Vance (SF-Nor Cal) and Cassandra Campbell (LA), along with moderator Tom Chantler (SF-Nor Cal), presented an engaging, entertaining and informative discussion on a range of topics in the emerging field of audiobooks. Simon and Cassandra shared their approaches to “prepping” a book prior to recording. Both narrators discussed the pros and cons of a silent readthrough prior to any recording to get a sense of story and characters. According to both narrators, well-written books flow easier during narration. Reading a variety of characters can be challenging, although there is not the same specificity for voice characterization as compared with animation voiceovers. A technique used by narrators is to base certain characters on familiar people in their personal lives or well-known actors. An overall goal
in all narration is to convey the images presented by the author while being aware of the audience. The members in attendance learned that audiobook narration can be very challenging, nuanced and much more difficult than simply reading a book into a microphone. While answering audience questions and comments, the panel provided practical advice on breaking into the book-narrating field, creating and submitting demos, and recording techniques using Pro Tools and other software. Audiobook recordings present new opportunities for SAG-AFTRA members, as nearly all new book publications are being released with an audio component now. Organizing Director Steve Sidawi was on hand to answer questions regarding existing audiobook contracts, terms, industry trends and organizing opportunities. Through a number of recently signed SAG-AFTRA audiobook contracts, the union is establishing certain industry standards, including minimum rates for a “finished hour” of recording. For more information about audiobooks please contact Steve.Sidawi@sagaftra.org or, on the East Coast, Rich Larkin, Jane Love, or Nancy Kelly.
SAG-AFTRA’S FIRST CONVENTION IS AROUND THE CORNER • This is the first SAG-AFTRA convention and delegates will be making union history. • The inaugural convention will be held at the J.W Marriott in downtown Los Angeles from Sept. 26-29. • Delegates will vote for the executive vice president and the vice president positions that represent geographic areas and membership categories. • Important amendments to the SAG-AFTRA Constitution may be presented and voted on, as well as important resolutions. • Highlights of the convention include keynote speeches, presentations and workshops. • Delegates will meet members from across the country to discuss union business and have some fun.
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BROADCAST NOTES
42nd Annual NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA EMMY® AWARDS The 42nd Annual Northern California Area Emmy® Awards were presented Saturday evening, June 15 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square. The Emmy® Award honors excellence in all fields of television and online production. The overall Station Excellence award went to KTVU Channel 2. CBS 5 Eyewitness News at 5 p.m. was honored with the coveted award for evening newscast in a larger market. SAG-AFTRA congratulates the following stations and individual SAG-AFTRA Emmy winners: KDTV-TV Channel 14, KFSN-TV Channel 30, KPIX-TV Channel 5, KQED-TV Channel 9 and KTVU-TV Channel 2 Campbell, Cook, Davis, Flemming, Fowler, Freedman, Gomez,
Tori Elizabeth Belva Dave John Wayne Maria Leticia
KTVU-TV KPIX-TV KQED-TV Giants KTVU-TV KGO-TV KDTV-TV
Gonzales, Hackney, Haener, Jacob, Kim, Kramsky, Krukow, Kuiper, Lin, Martin, Park, Rodriguez, Sanchez, Walker, Watts, Wong,
Roberta Brian Julie Mariana Margot Fabiola Mike Duane Da Allen Christine Gabriella Don Noelle Julie Claudine J
KPIX-TV KPIX-TV KTVU-TV KFSN-TV KFSN-TV KDTV-TV Giants Giants KPIX-TV KPIX-TV KFSN-TV KFSN-TV KGO-TV KTVU-TV KPIX-TV KTVU-TV
Click here for a complete breakdown of all categories and winners.
KRON 4 Newspersons Unanimously Reject Young Broadcasting's Latest Contract Offer Newspersons represented by SAG-AFTRA at KRON 4 voted unanimously on June 7 to reject the latest contract offer proposed by KRON 4/Young Broadcasting management. SAG-AFTRA members cited equitable compensation, threats to job security and health/retirement benefit concerns as their primary reasons for rejecting the company’s latest offer. SAG-AFTRA has been negotiating with the company for more than a year, while newspersons continue to work with a contract that expired on April 30, 2012. In commenting on the outcome, Chief Negotiator for SAG-AFTRA Frank Du Charme said, “The members have sent a clear message to management that while they have been patient for over a year, they want and expect a reasonable contract that provides continuation of job security previously agreed to by management, reasonable wage increases like those granted other employees doing like work and realistic Health and Retirement increases ... The members have spoken, the ball is now clearly in management’s court.” A federal mediator is scheduled to meet with the parties in August in an attempt to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Young Broadcasting recently announced a merger agreement with Media General Inc., a local broadcast and digital media company based in Richmond, Virginia. It is unclear what effect, if any, the proposed merger will have on the continuing labor dispute.
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BROADCAST NOTES Please join us in congratulating several Bay Area broadcast members and SAG-AFTRA employers for their contributions in the area of outstanding journalism.
2013 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award Winners The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of electronic journalism. Large Market Radio
Large Market Television
Overall Excellence
KCBS KCBS-AM San Francisco Contributing staff
KTVU News KTVU-TV Oakland Contributing staff
Newscast
6 a.m. News KCBS-AM San Francisco Contributing staff
Breaking News
Oikos University Shooting KGO-AM San Francisco Scott Lettieri, Kim Foster, Bret Burkhart, Chris Brecher 2012 Election Coverage KQED-FM San Francisco Contributing staff
Continuing Coverage
Feature Reporting
Through Meditation, Veterans Relearn Compassion KQED-FM San Francisco Amy Standen
Investigative Reporting
Broken Shield: Exposing Abuses and California's Developmental Centers KQED-FM San Francisco Contributing staff
News Series
Water and Power KQED-FM San Francisco Contributing staff
Reporting: Hard News
Reporting: Sports
Fool's Gold KPIX-TV San Francisco Julie Watts
Death Penalty KTVU-TV Oakland Frank Somerville, Rita Williams Oakland A's Fans KQED-FM San Francisco Nina Thorsen
Cont’d on page 6
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BROADCAST NOTES
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Edward R Murrow Awards - Cont’d from page 5 Use of Sound/Video
Real Poem KTVU-TV Oakland Ken Wayne Wayne Freedman KGO-TV San Francisco Wayne Freedman
Writing
Website
KQED News KQED-FM San Francisco Contributing staff
Important: We Don't Want to Lose Track of You Keep us up to date with your current contact information. If your email address is not listed with the San Francisco – Northern California Local, you are not getting the latest news on productions, conservatory workshops and other important union matter. If you have changed your contact information, please contact our membership coordinator Marifel Fuentecilla, Marifel.Fuentecilla@sagaftra.org, so we can keep you in the loop.
Click here to learn more about benefits and events offered by The Actors Fund.
The SAG-AFTRA San Francisco – Northern California Local will be closed in observance of the following holidays:
Half-day early closure - Aug. 30
Sept. 2
Labor Day
Oct. 14
Columbus Day
Nov. 11
Veterans Day
Half-day early closure - Nov. 27
Nov. 28-29
Thanksgiving
Dec. 24-25
Winter Solstice
Dec. 31
New Year’s Eve
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CONTRACT CORNER NEW THREE-YEAR COMMERCIALS CONTRACTS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED WITH 96 PERCENT OF VOTE In national voting completed May 30, SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly approved new, threeyear contracts negotiated with the advertising industry covering commercials. The 2013 SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract and 2013 SAG-AFTRA Radio Recorded Commercials Contract are the first major contracts negotiated by SAG-AFTRA as one union since merger in March 2012. The contracts cover performers working in commercials made for and reused on television, radio, the Internet and new media, and will result in wage increases and other payments totaling $238 million for all categories of performers, improvements in cable use fees, increases in payments for work on the Internet and new media platforms, an increase in the late payment fee, and an increase in contributions to the health and pension/retirement plans. The approved agreements also achieved recognition for the new union, merged the previous SAG and AFTRA television contracts into a single contract, and renamed the radio contract as a SAG-AFTRA contract. Overall, the membership of SAG-AFTRA voted 96 percent in favor of the new agreements. Integrity Voting Systems, an impartial election service based in Everett, Wash., facilitated the voting and certified the final count. The new contracts go into effect immediately, retroactive to April 1, 2013, and remain in force until June 30, 2016. SAG-AFTRA National Co-President and Commercials Negotiating Committee National Chair Roberta Reardon hailed today’s resounding victory: "The significance of this ratification is two-fold. Not only are these the first major contracts negotiated as SAG-AFTRA, but the contracts’ provisions provide for great improvements in the lives of our members and their families. I am grateful to the SAG-AFTRA members and staff who served alongside me on the negotiating team for all of their hard work." "The ratification of this agreement is a great result for our members. These contracts represent solid improvements and demonstrate the value of the collaborative relationship we’ve developed with the negotiators on the Joint Policy Committee," said David White, national executive director and chief negotiator. "We look forward to expanding opportunities for our members to work under this agreement across the country." Summaries of the provisions for the 2013 commercials contracts may be viewed at: 2013 SAG-AFTRA Television Commercials 2013 SAG-AFTRA Radio Commercials
CONTRACT CORNER
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Secure Storage for Valuables – Commercials Contract We hope that you will never have to use these provisions. However, should your valuables go missing while in a secure area provided by the producer during your commercial shoot, you may be able to receive reimbursement for your loss. Under the provisions of the Commercials Contract, the producer is required to provide a secure place for principal performers to leave valuables while on set: Schedule A.I.F.6 states that ...“Producer may at his/her option, require that the principal performer leave valuables in a secure place to be provided by the producer. If principal performer fails to avail himself/herself of such a facility, he/she shall forfeit his/her right to recovery under this subsection. In the case of loss or damage, reimbursement shall be made by producer within four weeks.” Extra performers also have the right to a secure place to leave their valuables under Schedule D.17.E of the Commercials Contract: “Producer shall provide a secure place for the extra performer to leave valuables. If the extra performer fails to use such a facility, he/she shall forfeit his/her right to recovery under this subsection.” You may contact your business representative if you are not provided a secure place for your valuables. If your valuables are lost or damaged while they are stored in a secure place provided by the producer, you must report the loss to the producer immediately and you should also contact the union to file a claim.
Staff Changes The San Francisco – Northern California Local recognizes Karen Lipney for more than 22 years of dedicated service to former AFTRA, SAG and now SAG-AFTRA. Karen has held various positions in our local, from theatrical representative to broadcast director, including, most recently associate executive/communications director. The Local Board is planning a reception to honor her and to thank for her service. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Please also be advised that Barbara Massey, commercial/non-broadcast rep, is no longer working for SAG-AFTRA. The local recognizes and thanks Barbara for her work on behalf of the members.
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COMMITTEE REPORTS
Conservatory Committee - Phillip Ramirez, Chair The SAG-AFTRA Conservatory has undergone a significant increase both in committee members and workshop events in the past few years. There are now at least two conservatory workshop events per month, with an added array of potential new workshops evolving continuously for our SAG-AFTRA members. We tap talented union members and reach out to an active production community that shares its expertise. These workshops ― which fill-up quickly due to overwhelming demand― provide members with practical knowledge, skills and guidance in the craft of acting and broadcast. My intent is to continue our conservatory progress with new workshops, so if you have any new workshop ideas or leads, contact Vicki Balich at vicki.balich@sagaftra.org or (415) 391-7510. Table read workshop of Twelve Angry Men
BookPALS Celebrates 20 Years with the SAG Foundation The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its signature children's literacy program, BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools). Founded in 1993, BookPALS is based on the premise that children would read more if only they saw the potential in books, and who better to bring the magic of stories to life than performers. Today, BookPALS serves more than 60,000 children in public schools, hospitals and social service agencies every month. More than 2,200 SAG-AFTRA performers regularly volunteer their time and talent to read aloud to kids in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Florida and Arizona. Over the last 20 years, BookPALS have read to more than 2.5 million children. If you have an interest in becoming a BookPAL reader for a Northern California school, contact Lynne Maes at (415) 391-7510 ext. 501.
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NOTE
Veteran anchor/reporter Don Sanchez (KGO-TV), is calling it quits after 49 years in television. Don was recently honored with a prestigious Governors’ Award Emmy on June 15. This is the highest honor a regional National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences chapter can give. We wish Don all the best in his retirement and future activities.
Academy of Art University held its annual Spring Show on May 22. Theatrical/TV Rep Lori Shockley was on hand for the acting school’s final performance. SAG-AFTRA staff held individual Q&A’s for potential members’ questions.
Shockley has been visiting multiple film sets in and around San Francisco, including, Mom, Murder and Me and Hog’s Breath. Shockley has recently signed a low-budget picture titled Quitters that will feature Benjamin Konigsberg, Mina Sorvino and Greg Germann. Nina Henninger completed casting a diverse group of local actors as day players. Shooting began on June 2. HBO’s The Untitled Michael Lannan Project has been picked up for eight episodes. Shooting begins in the Bay Area in the fall.
9th Annual Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Challenge - August 17, 2013 Friends of Faith are pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Challenge will be held at Oakland's Lake Merritt. For more information visit http://www.faithfancher5k.org
The National Broadcast Steering Committee meeting took place in New York City as we went to press. San Francisco sent a delegation of members and staff to meet with broadcasters from around the country. Stay tuned for a report in our next newsletter!
RTDNA announces 2013 John F. Hogan Award winner - Belva Davis, San Francisco The Radio Television Digital News Association has awarded Belva Davis the 2013 John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes an individual's contributions to the journalism profession and freedom of the press. Kudos Belva.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE to members in good standing: John L. Dales Scholarship Fund - SAG Foundation George Heller Memorial Scholarship Fund - AFTRA Foundation Union Plus Scholarships - AFL-CIO
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San Francisco Photo Gallery Spring Membership Meeting - April 29, 2013
Audiobooks - May 21 at La Pe単a Cultural Center
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San Francisco – Northern California Welcomes New Members and Transfers to Our Local February 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 Alouise, Diana Appelbaum, Jason Bacon, David Baird, Mary Elizabeth Berdahl, C.J. Birkestrand, Tyler Blasingame, Alicia Bowersox, Sylvia Bradford, Gregory Bragg, Joey Bravo, Joe Brown, Tyler Michael Burrows, Andrew Campbell, Lisa Renee Chapman, Brenda Chieppo, Shaun Chin, Elena Clark, Lara Clark, Shannon Contawe, Ron Cotton, Kurt Davis, DeMarco Marcellus De Rosa, Patrick DeLorenzo, Mary Diazoni, Devin Djegal, Philippe Donatelli, Mary J. Dronek, Alan Duff, Elizabeth Dunnagan, Kelly Judith Dutton, John Edward Ellis, Blake Emmes, Andrea Estudillo, Caitlin Joy Estudillo, K.J. Ewing, Lois Faber, Steve Fainaru-Wada, Mark Figueroa, Rona Fletcher, John Flores, Brian Galante, Jarrett Anthony Geisslinger, Bill Giordano, Stephen Goblirsch, Faith
Gulen, Leyla Hasiuk, Misha Hooker, Dan Jackson, Chyka Jackson, David Fraser Johnston, Stephanie Kim, Melissa King, Brent Kirkwood, Tasja Kwapy, William H. Locklear, Jo Beth Mack, Don Mann, Bryan Gregory Marks, Deanna Martin, Ian S. Mendoza, Linda L. Moore, Christopher Liam Munzer, Claire Parker, Marty Pham, Dat Pismo Plant, Ayn Reid, Obdul J. Reynolds, Elizabeth Lee Robles, Michael Rodriguez, Terry Rosen, Brian M. Sabatello, Joe Savella, Emma E. Savella, Gregory Schneider, Joseph Scott, Leetopher Scottlin, Ann Marie Seymour, Krystal Lee Sharp, Matthew R. Shere'a, Melody Spear, Jonah Stapleton, Eva Marie Taylor, Jia Taylor, Stacy Thompson, Toia Totah, J.J. Wilson, Anne H. Wilson, Bryan Farrell
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