Citing the coronavirus pandemic, SAG-AFTRA’s 80-member board of directors has delegated its authority to its 38-member executive committee.
The union announced Tuesday that it had taken the action due to the impossibility of holding in-person meetings during the coronavirus pandemic and the impracticality of holding large meetings even electronically.
SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said, “This resolution reflects the determination of SAG-AFTRA’s elected leaders to protect its members quickly during this constantly evolving global crisis.”
The resolution passed with 93.73% voting yes and 6.27% voting no. More than 96% of the votes of the board were cast in the poll. The motion was presented to the board with the unanimous recommendation of Carteris, the national officers and the executive committee.
The motion did not mention that SAG-AFTRA’s master contract will expire on June 30, but it’s likely that the performers union will have to extend that expiration. The SAG-AFTRA action was taken on the same day that the WGA told its members that they may need to extend to the current contract beyond its current May 1 expiration due to the pandemic. The coronavirus prevention measures appear to have made it untenable for the sides to hold a face-to-face bargaining session.
The WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are trying to come to terms on an extension date for the guild’s existing Minimum Basic Agreement that covers most film and TV work. The current pact is set to expire May 1. But given the upheaval to regular business brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the sides need more time to negotiate what is sure to be a tough negotiation.
SAG-AFTRA closed its national headquarters in Los Angeles on March 20.
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