www.broadwayworld.com: 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.
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The news about this fight (but let be honest it’s turning into a war) between SAG/AFTRA and AEA is getting really intense and as these comments from members of their own union suggests is in bad taste for SAG/AFTRA and I foresee as being problematic for them in the long term. I mean they are having absolutely no union solidarity right now and attacking an industry and individuals who have been hit by the pandemic even harder than their own industry. I can only assume it comes from a defensive position and that has to explain the lashing out but it seems like their going after something that won’t ultimately be particularly fruitful for them and isn’t even seeing widespread support from their membership base. I think the whole thing is in really bad taste and will have a longstanding impact of leaving an overall bad impression of the union.
This feud just keeps heating up. It’s interesting to see so many SAG-AFTRA members speak out against the actions of their union. I specifically really resonated with the comment saying SAG-AFTRA leadership should have polled members to determine what direction to head here. Equity is being forced to innovate and re-examined what constitutes live theater. I can see how that can look like an infringement to SAG-AFTRA, but nothing is being broadcasted on a television network or being filmed for theatrical release. These are streamed live performances and SAG-AFTRA should be the bigger person and let AEA expand into this market. Especially for the sake of stage managers and the health insurance of all these workers. With the Affordable Care Act under attack in a few weeks, now is not the time to be fighting to take people’s health insurance away. I said before that Equity might be looking to expand beyond the pandemic into streaming, but if SAG-AFTRA’s own members are telling them to pull back then that can be a debate for another day.
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