Actors' Equity Comments On SAG-AFTRA Members Condemning the Union's Raiding of Equity Employers

Actors Equity has released the following roundup of quotes addressing SAG-AFTRA members who are speaking out against the union's battle with Equity.

See below:

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SAG-AFTRA members have begun revolting against the union after SAG-AFTRA escalated its raiding of Equity employers over the weekend on social media. SAG-AFTRA has refused to stop interfering with Equity bargaining partners, often leading our members to receiving deferred compensation and lower pay, denying them health insurance and excluding stage managers completely.

See a sample of comments from SAG-AFTRA members below:

"Very behind-the-scenes, but SAG-AFTRA is going to war against Actors' Equity."- Mike Sington

"Who else's faith in SAG-AFTRA has been completely shaken by their moves on our behalf in 2020?"- SAG-AFTRA member Alanna Blair

"I wish you put this much effort into saving our health insurance."-SAG-AFTRA member Grant Baciocco

"These emails from @sagaftra have a lot of Karen energy.Y'all are not the victim, please calm down. Thousands of @ActorsEquity members are out of work and will soon lose their insurance. SAG could easily thrive without whatever profit could be made from theatre streaming. Shameful." -SAG-AFTRA member Bisserat Tseggai

"Enough already with this bullying, distasteful, disgraceful and plain disgustingly shameful power grabbing! Allow stage actors to go on stage and video tape their show like it's been done forever, and air these shows with actual pay to the actors -and stage managers! This is not a filmed play, it is a taped performance. Let's support each other rather than play the divisive game that's been played in this country now for 4 years!!" - SAG-AFTRA member Bjarne Hecht

"I belong to SAG and AEA. Thanks, SAG, for spending your time and our dues money trying to bully AEA over an art form for which you don't even have a contract, or any agreements with any signatories. You are NOT representing me, SAG." -SAG-AFTRA member John Leslie Wolfe

"Artists are starving, art houses are going broke, and you're fighting to keep them in poverty. I'm ashamed of my union."- SAG-AFTRA member Ben Young III

"Maybe SAG-AFTRA should have polled the membership over this move. A lot of us don't support it."- SAG-AFTRA member Bonnie C. Harper

"The proposed waiver is disrespectful to Article XX Section 2 of the AFL-CIO constitution, unfair to your sibling union and it's established bargaining partners, and unreasonably restrictive for those bargaining partners who need as much flexibility as possible in the middle of a pandemic to meet their bottom line, retain their audience base, and plan for the future." -SAG-AFTRA and Equity member Jeffrey Omura

"Not SAG-AFTRA's jurisdiction or business. Taping theatre is a much different process and is inclusive within the show. I have video taped many live performances for friends over the years and they own it because it's their work ,but [sic] on a different format . AEA members are not taking work away from SAG-AFTRA members , taping shows , pay per view is AEA jurisdiction. As a SAG-AFTRA member, I vote no waiver needed for AEA members to work. We support whatever AEA wants to do." -SAG-AFTRA member Mark J. Aubrey

"I have earned my health insurance through AEA consistently since 2008. When my current coverage expires next June how is SAG/AFTRA helping me come anywhere near maintaining that coverage by insisting that existing AEA bargaining partners, who have contracts with AEA that include binding recognition clauses, sign actors, and only actors, to SAG/AFTRA contracts for the few options that are available during this pandemic?

"SAG/AFTRA is denying the validity and existence of the stage managers who are members of AEA, and I mean that literally. Their resolution released on October 9th reads 'WHEREAS, Actors' Equity Association (AEA) is the union that represents performers in live theater in the United States; and'" -SAG-AFTRA member Byron Abens

"As a member of both unions, I beg you to please stop this campaign. It's tacky & dirty...and SAG-AFTRA looks like a greedy bully. Theater has NOTHING right now and you are impeding necessary innovation during a crisis with this ridiculous turf war. Please either truly look after actors & stage managers (your 'waiver' does not), or simply step aside and let AEA handle this new way we have to do theater now. Do the right thing!!" - SAG-AFTRA member Carly Thomas Smith

"This is so disingenuous and sophomoric. Your reprehensible 'deal' with AEA union houses deprives stage managers of employment, defers payment to union members, doesn't offer qualification for health insurance and undercuts terms negotiated by a sister union with producers. The fact that you're so desperate to force a bogus narrative onto your membership and the public is instructive." - SAG-AFTRA member Thomas Sadoski

"@sagaftra has literally put me out of a job. I work mainly Off Broadway. Those employers have been scooped by S-A and stage managers shoved off contract or even fired. I am a breadwinner. I have a family. This is devastating." -Equity member Erin Maureen Koster