SAG-aftra re-elected Ken Howard as national president with 53.74 percent of the vote, the union announced on Thursday. Jane Austin won in both the Los Angeles president and national secretary-treasurer elections, while Mike Hodge was re-elected as New York president. Howard, 71, will serve another a 2-year term as leader of the performing artists labor union. Howard was first elected national president of Screen Actors Guild in 2009. Re-elected in 2011, he was named co-president of SAG-aftra when the two unions merged March 2012 and became the union’s first elected president in August 2013. Also Read: UTA Strengthens Music Biz, Acquires The Agency Group “Serving the members of.
- 8/21/2015
- by Deborah Day
- The Wrap
Ballots are still being counted in Los Angeles SAG-aftra races, but the results are in from New York, where incumbent Maureen Donnelly has received the most votes in a six-way race for four local Vice President slots. New York local President Mike Hodge ran unopposed and was re-elected "without the necessity of a membership vote." He was the top vote-getter in the local board races, followed by former national SAG-aftra Co-president Roberta Reardon, Donnelly, Graham…...
- 8/21/2015
- Deadline TV
Ballots are still being counted in Los Angeles SAG-aftra races, but the results are in from New York, where incumbent Maureen Donnelly has received the most votes in a six-way race for four local Vice President slots. New York local President Mike Hodge ran unopposed and was re-elected "without the necessity of a membership vote." He was the top vote-getter in the local board races, followed by former national SAG-aftra Co-president Roberta Reardon, Donnelly, Graham…...
- 8/21/2015
- Deadline
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation broke ground on the final stage of its New York home Tuesday. The ceremony marked the beginning of work on a 4,000-foot space on the ground floor at 247 W. 54th St. that, when completed, will house screening, performance, and education facilities for the SAG Foundation Actors Center in New York. “Since 2010, the SAG Foundation has quadrupled its free, educational programming for SAG-aftra New York members,” SAG Foundation President Cyd Wilson said. “The rate at which New York performers are taking advantage of our professional programs and resources is astounding. This dedicated theater space is our Actors Center of dreams; we’re confident that if we build it, they will come.” Wilson added, “We look forward to putting the SAG Foundation Actors Center on the map in the center of one of the world’s greatest performing arts and broadcasting communities.” Wilson put ceremonial shovel to...
- 4/29/2015
- backstage.com
Union actors in New York mark your calendars: The city's new SAG-AFTRA offices are holding a grand opening. The union announced Wednesday that its new New York Local would hold a ribbon cutting Jan. 22. Ken Howard, SAG-AFTRA's president, Local President Mike Hodge, and Executive Diretor David White are among those set to attend. Refreshments will be served. The new offices are located at 1900 Broadway. The open house runs 2-5 p.m.
- 1/15/2014
- backstage.com
Forget about the speakers and panels. What really happened at the SAG-aftra convention, which concluded Sunday? Here’s what sources revealed to The Hollywood Reporter: politicking, horse trading and backroom deals. The big ticket item was the election of executive vice president, the union’s second-highest office. 90210 actor and veteran AFTRA activist Gabrielle Carteris from Los Angeles beat New York’s Mike Hodge, a veteran SAG activist, by a 3 to 1 ratio (66.5 percent to 23.2 percent). Even some of her opponents concede that she gave a more impassioned campaign speech at the convention than did Hodge.
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- 9/30/2013
- by Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Former "Beverly Hills 90210" star Gabrielle Carteris captured SAG-AFTRA's executive vice presidency Thursday, besting rival Mike Hodge in a vote one delegate described as "not even close." Carteris, who played high school newspaper editor Andrea Zuckerman on the series, had the backing of SAG‑AFTRA Secretary‑Treasurer Amy Aquino and Roberta Reardon, the union’s former co-president. New York Local President Hodge, meanwhile, was backed by Ken Howard, the national president, and Clyde Kusatsu, the union’s newly installed L.A. Local president. Before a total of 303 ballots were cast, two other candidates joined the race, although neither drew enough votes to influence the outcome. Carteris received 66.5 percent of the vote to 23.22 percent for Hodge. Jane Austin, who ran unsuccessfully for secretary-treasurer on a ticket with Esai Morales, received 10.28 percent. Millie Wright was also a candidate. “I am so grateful to be elected executive vice president and I look forward...
- 9/26/2013
- backstage.com
“Beverly Hills, 90210” actress Gabrielle Carteris won the three-way race to become SAG-aftra’s new Executive Vice President on Thursday at the union’s inaugural convention. Carteris beat out president Ken Howard’s pick, New York Local president Mike Hodge, and Jane Stewart, who was a late entry to the race. A total of 303 ballots were cast. Carteris received 66.5 percent of the vote, Mike Hodge received 23.22 percent, Jane Austin received 10.28 percent. Millie Wright was also a candidate. “I am so grateful to be elected executive vice president and I look forward to building on the merged union that we created,...
- 9/26/2013
- by TheWrap Staff
- The Wrap
Update, 12:35Pm: Gabrielle Carteris has been elected SAG-AFTRA’s new Executive Vice President at the union’s convention today. The Beverly Hills, 90210 actress and former La Local co-President beat NY Local president Mike Hodge and last-minute candidate Jane Austin for the powerful union position voted on by delegates. Recently elected National Secretary-Treasurer Amy Aquino was among those who spoke in favor of Carteris to the delegates. The result may not sit that well with union President Ken Howard, who threw his support very publicly behind Hodge. Carteris was endorsed by former SAG-AFTRA co-President Roberta Reardon. The convention continues until September 29 and will be followed by a two-day National Board meeting. Previously, 8:25 Am: By the end of today, either Mike Hodge or Gabrielle Carteris will be SAG-AFTRA’s new Executive Vice President. The election to the influential position is one of the first items on the...
- 9/26/2013
- by DOMINIC PATTEN
- Deadline TV
With the crack of a gavel, SAG-aftra president Ken Howard called the union’s first convention to order just after 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Currently, the convention is in closed session and is proceeding with the election of a new executive vice president. Gabrielle Carteris and Mike Hodge are the previously announced candidates. In addition, a source told The Hollywood Reporter that Membership 1st stalwart Jane Austin was nominated from the floor, with unsuccessful presidential candidate Esai Morales speaking in her favor. Membership 1st’s Millie Wright was also nominated, but directed her supporters to vote for Austin. The vote count is currently in progress. Howard, perhaps mindful of the mind-numbing array of constitutional
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- 9/26/2013
- by Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAG-AFTRA's first post-merger national convention kicks off today under the theme “united for our future,” but the four-day event may in fact reveal some divisions within the union’s leadership. For starters, the executive vice presidency is being contested by two heavyweight contenders in the form of New York Local President Mike Hodge and Gabrielle Carteris, who currently serves on the Los Angeles Local’s board. Hodge is backed by Ken Howard, the national president, and Clyde Kusatsu, the union’s newly installed L.A. Local president, while Carteris has the backing of SAG‑AFTRA Secretary‑Treasurer Amy Aquino and Roberta Reardon, the union’s former co-president with Howard. After Carteris announced, "people were surprised that Mike made the choice [to run], but it's a democratic organization," Aquino told Backstage. Aquino said she endorsed Carteris because she "just makes sense." "Gabrielle's got a national presence," she said. "She has what...
- 9/26/2013
- backstage.com
New York Local President Mike Hodge entered the race for SAG-AFTRA's executive vice presidency Friday and has some prominent union officials in his corner. In fact, Ken Howard, the union's national president, is backing Hodge for the position, as is former Evp Ned Vaughn, who resigned from the post in August and entered the race for a Los Angeles-area state Assembly seat. "Mike Hodge is someone I've counted on for strong, steady leadership from the very start of my union service, and he has never failed to deliver. I’m tremendously impressed with the way he’s handled things in NewYork, and it's important that our national union have leadership that reflects our national footprint," said Howard in a statement. Still, Howard noted Hodge is on a collision course with Gabrielle Carteris, who entered the Evp race earlier this week, but insisted he was the best man for the job.
- 9/21/2013
- backstage.com
SAG-aftra New York local president Mike Hodge will run for the union’s second highest office, his campaign announced Friday. That sets up a battle between Hodge and Gabrielle Carteris, SAG-aftra's national vp for Los Angeles, who announced her candidacy earlier this week. It’s a rare split, since they’re members of allied groups. “I'm excited about the prospect of serving as our union's executive vice president,” said Hodge “We set a strong foundation through merger and now it’s time for SAG-aftra to fulfill its potential and set the standard for labor representation across the entertainment and media
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- 9/20/2013
- by Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAG-AFTRA members expecting a sweetheart deal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in next year’s talks shouldn’t hold their breath, according to a top labor negotiations expert. Union officials, including SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard, have made it clear they view their post-merger bargaining position as stronger than in past TV/theatrical talks, when SAG and AFTRA were separate entities. In a recent interview with Backstage, Howard said, “The real reason, far more than any other, for merging these unions was the strength we need to have in collective bargaining.” During his campaign for reelection, he called the upcoming negotiations, which are expected to start next year, “pivotal.” “This election won’t just choose SAG-AFTRA’s leaders for the next two years; it will set our direction for years to come,” Howard stated in July. The president’s rhetorical swagger was matched by other prominent union members.
- 9/4/2013
- backstage.com
Apart from the three sneak screening titles that will stir up the buzz in the coming days, Julie Huntsinger and Tom Luddy’s 40th edition of the Telluride Film Festival excels in bringing a concentration of solid docus from the likes of Errol Morris and Werner Herzog who this year cuts the ribbon on a theatre going by his name and introduces Death Row, a pinch of Berlin Film Fest items (Gloria, Slow Food Story, Fifi Howls from Happiness) Palme d’Or winner (this year Abdellatif Kechiche will be celebrated), upcoming Sony Pictures Classics items (Tim’s Vermeer, The Lunchbox), Venice to Telluride to Tiff titles (Bethlehem, Tracks and Under the Skin), the latest Jason Reitman film (Labor Day) and the barely known docu-home-movie whodunit (by helmers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine) The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden which features narration from the likes of Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger and Connie Nielsen.
- 8/28/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
New York Local President Mike Hodge fended off a challenge from Roberta Reardon, SAG-aftra's former co-president, retaining the top job at the union's second largest branch. Hodge, who ran on the United Screen Actors Nationwide slate, found himself in a close contest with Reardon, who was a surprise entrant into the race. But the incumbent was able to hold on -- albeit by the tightest of margins. After a long night of counting votes, SAG-aftra announced early Friday that Hodge took 3,121 votes to 3,003 for Reardon -- a difference of less than 2 percent. "I want to express my sincere thanks to all the members who made their voices heard by voting in our historic first SAG-aftra election," Hodge said in a statement. "It was a vigorous campaign and I'm grateful that NY members have elected me to lead our local. I'm eager to work with the new board to continue building...
- 8/16/2013
- backstage.com
Mike Hodge will serve a third term atop the New York local after narrowly defeating SAG-aftra co-president Roberta Reardon in the race for the union's N.Y presidency. Hodge had 3,121 votes, just 118 more than Reardon's 3,003 in results revealed early Friday morning. Reardon was president of AFTRA from 2007 to 2012 and has served with Ken Howard as co-president of SAG-aftra since last year's merger. Howard, who had endorsed Hodge, easily won the SAG-aftra national presidency by defeating Esai Morales in results announced Thursday. Also read: SAG-aftra Election: President Ken Howard Re-Elected...
- 8/16/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
SAG-aftra’s New York Local members re-elected Mike Hodge for a two-year term as New York Local president, the union announced Friday. Hodge received 3,121 votes (50.96 percent) with SAG-aftra current co-president Roberta Reardon receiving 3,003 votes (49.04 percent). The results of the tight and closely-watched race gives Hodge a launching pad to run for executive vice president at the union’s convention, should he choose to do so. Reardon has already said she’ll run, setting up the possibility of a Reardon-Hodge rematch. Newly reelected union president Ken Howard has said
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- 8/16/2013
- by Jonathan Handel
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With SAG-aftra election results set to be announced Thursday, union co-president Roberta Reardon will turn her attention to winning the union's executive vice presidency if she fails in her bid to lead the New York Local. "If this goes south, then I'm going to turn and look at the convention [where the Evp position is elected] because I really, strongly believe in SAG-aftra as a national union," she told Backstage. "We built a union that's very diverse and I think the union leadership should reflect that." Reardon is challenging—a term she dislikes using—Mike Hodge for the New York Local's top job. She said she's been disappointed with how some of the members have broken the race down as a SAG-versus-aftra contest. "I was very disappointed to see that people kind of defaulted to old conversations," said Reardon, who was president of AFTRA before the 2012 merger. Turnout in the local contests to date has hovered around 24 percent,...
- 8/15/2013
- backstage.com
SAG-AFTRA unveiled the list of candidates running in its first post-merger national election, including a presidential field that features three challengers to Co-President Ken Howard. Paul Edney, Marilyn Monrovia and Esai Morales are vying to unseat Howard, who is seeking a third term at the helm. The candidates for national secretary-treasurer are Amy Aquino and Jane Austin, who is running on the MembershipFirst slate with Morales. The national president and secretary-treasurer positions both carry two-year terms. All national board seats are up for election this year, along with all local officer, local board and convention delegate positions. The executive vice president and other vice presidents will be elected at the inaugural SAG-AFTRA Convention in September. Roberta Reardon, currently the national co-president with Howard, has indicated she'll run for the executive vice president position. Meanwhile, she's challenging Mike Hodge for the presidency of the New York Local, SAG-AFTRA’s second largest.
- 7/13/2013
- backstage.com
Eight months after SAG-aftra issued a "Do Not Work Notice" against audiobook producer BeeAudio, the union has reached an agreement with the Oregon-based company to pay narrators industry standard wages. BeeAudio was producing books for major publishers, but paying half -- or even less than half -- the industry standard rate to narrators, who will now receive rates ranging from $150 to $240 per completed hour of work. Also read: Mike Hodge to Seek Re-Election as SAG-aftra's N.Y. President The new contract affects the more than 200 audiobook professionals currently on the company's roster. "It makes...
- 7/12/2013
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
A surprise announcement has put the national spotlight on SAG-AFTRA’s New York branch and made the local leadership race one of the most competitive—and potentially divisive—contests in the union’s upcoming elections. Roberta Reardon, who currently serves as the union’s national co-president with Ken Howard, formally announced June 30 that she’s challenging Mike Hodge for the presidency of the New York Local, SAG-AFTRA’s second largest. The announcement caught Hodge by surprise, but he wasn’t the only one reeling from last week’s developments. After serving together as co-presidents for more than a year, Reardon said she was astonished when on June 27 Howard announced he’s backing Hodge’s reelection bid. “I am surprised, but that’s politics,” she told Backstage. Hodge, who’s running on the Unite SAG-AFTRA Nationwide (Usan) slate, and Reardon were in talks earlier this year to run...
- 7/1/2013
- backstage.com
Exclusive: It was a SAG-aftra coalition that ultimately wasn’t. Roberta Reardon‘s plan to run for both NY Local President and National Executive Vice President came only after coalition talks collapsed, union sources tell me. NY-based Usan and the current SAG-aftra Co-President’s then-unnamed slate were deep in negotiations to form a powerhouse unit for this year’s union national elections. Those talks included current NY Local President Mike Hodge seeking his post again in this summer’s election and Reardon running for the Evp gig when the SAG-aftra national convention meets in September. Initially Reardon wanted Hodge to step aside as NY Local President. But all the principals involved in the coalition negotiations thought that was a bad idea and agreed that the current NY Local President should seek re-election. The grand alliance splintered and folded when Reardon was unable to secure endorsements from the Usan slate for the Evp job.
- 6/30/2013
- by DOMINIC PATTEN
- Deadline TV
Mike Hodge is expecting a challenger to emerge as he launches his bid for reelection as SAG-AFTRA New York Local president, a source tells Backstage. Hodge, currently co-president of the local, announced his candidacy June 27 along with the rest of his Unite SAG-AFTRA Nationwide slate. The event coincided with a visit to the New York Local from national Co-President Ken Howard, who is running for the union's unified presidency. Howard was quick to endorse Hodge and the rest of the Usan slate, calling them “leaders I trust.” “Mike Hodge knows what's important to working members because he is one,” Howard said in a written statement. “He knows first-hand the challenges we face and has a no-nonsense approach to getting things done, no matter how tough. I've always counted on Mike's leadership because he comes through for NY members time and again. “Early next year we begin contract talks for film,...
- 6/28/2013
- backstage.com
Incumbent Mike Hodge will seek a third term as president of SAG-aftra's New York local. The announcement was made Thursday by United Screen Actors Nationwide, which put forward a slate of candidates for the posts and the guild's national board. Topping the Usan ticket along with Hodge are N.Y. vice president candidates Rebecca Damon, Maureen Donnelly, Jay Potter and Liz Zazzi. Hodge is co-president of SAG-aftra's New York local, along with Holter Graham. Hodge was first elected as SAG N.Y. president in 2009, and re-elected in 2011. When the Screen Actors Guild merged...
- 6/28/2013
- by Todd Cunningham
- The Wrap
Today the race for SAG-AFTRA’s first leadership election since the unions merged last spring unofficially began. Jumping the gun on the official candidates list that the union is expected to be released in the next week or so, the New York-based Unite SAG-AFTRA Nationwide slate revealed its list today. “We decided that we would launch today to give members time to become familiar with the candidates,” current NY Local Co-President Mike Hodge told me today. The Usan slate is holding a meet-and-greet event this afternoon with current SAG-AFTRA National Co-President Ken Howard in attendance. Hodge is running for both a National SAG-AFTRA board seat and for NY Local President. While not formally part of the slate, Howard endorses the Usan candidates and is endorsed by them in his declared bid to become the first solo National President of SAG-AFTRA. Howard is also making the...
- 6/27/2013
- by DOMINIC PATTEN
- Deadline TV
SAG-aftra invites its members to the first ever New York Local special membership meeting on Monday, May 14. Union members will hear reports from SAG-aftra's elected leaders and staff, and will also be able to ask questions about the new union.The meeting will be held Monday, May 14, 5:30-8 p.m. at the Directors Guild of America Theater, 110 West 57th Street (between Sixth and Seventh Avenues), New York City. Doors open at 5 p.m.Speakers will include New York co-presidents Holter Graham and Mike Hodge, co-executive directors Stephen Burrow and Jae Je Simmons, assistant national executive director for organizing Phil Denniston, and Steven Sobotta of the Actors Federal Credit Union. Reports from the SAG-aftra leadership will be followed by time for questions and answers. Actors who are unable to attend the meeting can email their questions to nymember@sagaftra.org.This special membership meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-aftra...
- 5/11/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
SAG-AFTRA, the new performers' union that was formed on March 30 with the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has taken its first official action by establishing an initial 24-member executive committee. The panel was announced on on Wednesday, Variety reported.The committee is composed of a dozen national officers, and SAG-AFTRA co-presidents Ken Howard and Roberta Reardon have each appointed six additional members. Per the merger agreement, Howard and Reardon will chair the SAG-AFTRA executive committee.The officers are Ned Vaughn, executive VP; Amy Aquino and Matthew Kimbrough, co-secretary-treasurers; Gabrielle Carteris, Los Angeles VP; Mike Hodge, New York VP; Craig Dellimore, mid-sized locals VP; David Hartley-Margolin, small locals VP; Michael O'Keefe, actor/performer VP; Catherine Brown, broadcaster VP; and Jim Ferguson, recording artist VP.The appointed members are David Browde, Assaf Cohen, Rebecca Damon, Denise Dal Vera,...
- 4/12/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Lehman)
- backstage.com
Update, 8:56 Am Friday: Today’s press conference will be live-streamed at sagaftra.org. Previous, Wednesday Pm: SAG national president Ken Howard, AFTRA national president Roberta Reardon, SAG secretary-treasurer Amy Aquino, AFTRA treasurer Matt Kimbrough, SAG 1st national VP Ned Vaughn, AFTRA 2nd national VP Gabrielle Carteris, SAG 2nd national VP Mike Hodge, AFTRA national executive director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth and SAG national executive director David White will be in attendance to answer questions. The briefing is set for 1 Pm Pt in the James Cagney Boardroom of SAG’s Hollywood headquarters on Wilshire Boulevard.
- 3/30/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Federal Judge James Otero has canceled the scheduled March 26 hearing in the lawsuit seeking to preemptively void the SAG/AFTRA merger vote. His decision will be based on the legal papers filed to date, and could come at any time.The court’s docket entry says that the matter is “Taken Under Submission. Accordingly, the hearing date is Vacated.”The vote count is scheduled for March 30, unless the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs. Taking the matter off calendar does not signal the judge's decision, but may mean that he has reached one already.Defendants in the suit are SAG, guild president Ken Howard, secretary-treasurer Amy Aquino and vice-presidents Ned Vaughn, Mike Hodge and David Hartley-Margolin. In addition, national executive director David White is listed in the caption (i.e., title) of the case, but omitted from the list of defendants in the body of the document.The plaintiffs are Martin Sheen,...
- 3/21/2012
- by help@backstage.com (Jonathan Handel)
- backstage.com
Screen Actors Guild members have overwhelmingly re-elected Ken Howard president to his second two-year term, effectively endorsing his plan to merge the guild with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. His running-mate, Amy Aquino, was re-elected secretary-treasurer. Aquino was unopposed. Mike Hodge, president of the New York division, also was re-elected. The Guild announced the winners Thursday. The election was a referendum on merging SAG with AFTRA -- a cause Howard has spent the past two years championing. And it was a big win. Howard got 17,492 votes. Anti-merger candidate David Hillberg received...
- 9/23/2011
- by Joshua L. Weinstein
- The Wrap
Back Stage recently spoke with Screen Actors Guild New York Division presidential candidates Mike Hodge and Sam Robards about their priorities in the upcoming election.Interview with Mike HodgeSAG NY Division Presidential Candidate Mike Hodge talks about the 23 shows filming in New York this Fall and the SAG-aftra merger.Interview with Sam RobardsSAG NY Division Presidential Candidate Sam Robards talks about his priorities in the election and the role of new media.
- 9/8/2011
- by help@backstage.com ()
- backstage.com
A group of actors mounting a campaign challenge against the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild's New York division reported Wednesday night that its official blog had been briefly shut down by a hacker. A blog post made after the site was restored attributed the alleged hacking to "dirty politics" and called the timing of the incident "suspicious," given that it closely followed announcements by other union leaders endorsing the group.One Strong Union announced two weeks ago a slate of 10 candidates for the SAG New York division board of directors. Most of those candidates—including Sam Robards, who is challenging incumbent Mike Hodge in a campaign for New York division president—are actors previously aligned with United Screen Actors Nationwide, the group that has long held control of the New York boardroom. One Strong Union describes itself as in favor of merger between SAG and the American Federation of Television and.
- 8/11/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Holloway)
- backstage.com
Last month, a group calling itself One Strong Union unveiled a slate of candidates for the Screen Actors Guild's New York division board of directors. The group is comprised of actors formerly aligned with United Screen Actors Nationwide, the party that has for years held near total control of the New York division. At the top of One Strong Union's ticket is Sam Robards, a national board member who is running for New York division president against the current holder of that title, Usan's Mike Hodge. The following interview with Robards was conducted last week for an analysis of the upcoming SAG national election. The transcript of an interview conducted the same day with Hodge can be found at www.backstage.com.Back Stage: Why are you running for New York division president?Robards: I think that I can bring a new energy to the presidency. I'm excited, and I'm hoping that I can.
- 8/11/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Holloway)
- backstage.com
Last month, a group calling itself One Strong Union unveiled a slate of candidates for the Screen Actors Guild's New York division board of directors. The group is comprised of actors formerly aligned with United Screen Actors Nationwide, the party that has for years held near total control of the New York division. At the top of One Strong Union's ticket is Sam Robards, a national board member who is running for New York division president against the current holder of that title, Usan's Mike Hodge. The following interview with Hodge was conducted last week for an analysis of the upcoming SAG national election. The transcript of an interview conducted the same day with Robards can be found at www.backstage.com.Back Stage: What was your initial reaction when you saw that you would be facing a challenge for the presidency and that Usan would face a challenge from another slate?...
- 8/11/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Holloway)
- backstage.com
Los Angeles (August 4, 2011) – Screen Actors Guild today released the official list of candidates for its upcoming national officer and national board elections. National president and national secretary-treasurer positions are up for election, both of which carry two-year terms. Approximately 1/3 of the total 69 national board seats are open for election this year. National officer ballots will be mailed to all eligible SAG members nationwide on August 23 with a return deadline and tabulation on September 22. Election results are expected to be announced that evening. The same schedule will apply to the Hollywood and New York Division elections. The candidates for national president are David Hillberg, Ken Howard, Asmar Muhammad and Sharon Rubin. The candidate for national secretary-treasurer is Amy Aquino. The Hollywood Division will elect 12 national board members and 22 alternates. Eleven (11) candidate positions will be seated for a three (3) year term and one (1) candidate position will be seated for a one (1) year...
- 8/4/2011
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
A new faction of SAG's New York Division has announced a slate of candidates to challenge the dominant United Screen Actors Nationwide group that unveiled its nominees Tuesday for national and NY Division elections next month. One.Strong.Union., which says on its website that it is "committed to capable, inspired, forward-thinking governance in the New York boardroom" of SAG, has put forth Sam Robards as its nominee for SAG NY Division president to challenge Usan-aligned incumbent Mike Hodge and Robards, Corey Anker, Justin Barrett, Kelly Deadmon, Andrew Dolan, Jeff Gurner, Phoebe Jonas, Gy Mirano, Joe Narciso and Matt Servitto for board seats. Both Usan and Osu are for SAG's merger with AFTRA.
- 7/27/2011
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
United Screen Actors Nationwide, the pro-merger party that holds sway over the Screen Actors Guild's New York boardroom, will announce today its slate of candidates for upcoming SAG board and officer elections. The lineup includes one notable surprise: comedian and "Daily Show" contributor Lewis Black.A newcomer to SAG politics, Black is one of 11 Usan-endorsed candidates seeking seats on the national and New York division boards of directors. The party will also endorse current New York president Mike Hodge in his bid for re-election to that post."N.Y. president Mike Hodge and the Usan team are the right choice for New York members who want one union now," SAG president Ken Howard said in a written announcement that Usan will release this afternoon. "Under Usan's leadership, SAG renewed and strengthened our historic partnership with AFTRA, and in just a few months we'll be making our most crucial decision ever about our.
- 7/26/2011
- by help@backstage.com (Daniel Holloway)
- backstage.com
Ned Vaughn was elected 1st vice president of the Screen Actors Guild and president of the guild's Hollywood division Monday night. Vaughn, co-founder of SAG's moderate Unite for Strength party, succeeds Anne-Marie Johnson, whose rival faction MembershipFirst suffered heavy losses last month in guild elections. "I am honored to serve Screen Actors Guild as 1st vice president and privileged to represent the members here in Hollywood," Vaughn said in a statement released by SAG. "Our recent board election made it clear: Hollywood members overwhelmingly want performers in one union, not divided in two. I'll work hard to advance that goal and to make progress in every aspect of protecting our members." Vaughn, who was elected last month as an alternate to SAG's national board, was also appointed by the Hollywood directors to take the seat of outgoing national board member Amy Brenneman, who stepped down.The New York division re-elected...
- 10/19/2010
- backstage.com
Unite For Strength's Ned Vaughn replaced Membership First's Anne-Marie Johnson who chose not to run for re-election when her party lost control of SAG's Hollywood Division (Anne-Marie Johnson Ends SAG Hollywood Term: Bemoans Guild's "Fading Legacy"): Los Angeles (Oct. 18, 2010) - The Screen Actors Guild Hollywood Division Board of Directors and New York Division Board of Directors today elected the union’s 1st vice president and 2nd vice president. The Hollywood Division Board elected Ned Vaughn to the position of 1st vice president of Screen Actors Guild. The 1st vice president also serves as chair of the Hollywood Division Board. The New York Division Board re-elected Division President Mike Hodge to the position of Screen Actors Guild 2nd vice president. 1st Vice President Ned Vaughn said, “I am honored to serve Screen Actors Guild as 1st vice president and privileged to represent the members here in Hollywood. Our recent board...
- 10/19/2010
- by Nikki Finke
- Deadline Hollywood
In a Screen Actors Guild election that was widely considered a referendum on merger with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, proponents of that idea emerged with a clear mandate.When the results of SAG's 2010 national board of directors election were announced Sept. 23, MembershipFirst, the SAG faction that emerged from the group of actors who helped scuttle merger in 2003, lost the fight for all 13 Hollywood-based national seats up for grabs to its rival faction, the pro-merger Unite for Strength. MembershipFirst partisans had held all 13 of those seats. The loss hands the coalition of Hollywood, New York, and regional moderates who had held a slim majority of the national seats—and who have been vocal in support of merger—a commanding boardroom advantage.Even more striking is MembershipFirst's loss of its majority on the Hollywood board. Unite for Strength won an overwhelming 33 of 35 open seats. Ufs, formed in...
- 9/29/2010
- backstage.com
The recession has taken a toll on nearly every trade, and New York's film and TV industry hasn't been spared any fiscal grief. But the Empire State's actors have reason to breathe easier this month. On Aug. 3, the state Legislature passed a measure extending New York's film and TV tax-credit program, allotting $2.1 billion in incentives over a five-year period ($420 million per year) to projects that complete a percentage of their shooting and postproduction work inside state lines. The tax credit comes, at long last, as part of the newly passed state budget, due by April 1 but delayed this year for four interminable months.The tax incentive, which offers a 30 percent rebate on below-the-line expenditures for qualified projects, as well as a 10 percent rebate on postproduction work completed in New York, is nothing new: Funding for the program has been renewed yearly since 2004. But the five-year extension, which guarantees the credits...
- 8/18/2010
- backstage.com
Don't call it "merger." That is the message coming from the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in the wake of word that the unions will forge what's being termed the Presidents' Forum for One Union, a forum on the creation of a new national performers' union. AFTRA president Roberta Reardon announced at her union's July 21 national board of directors meeting that she had proposed the idea of a forum to SAG president Ken Howard. Three days later, Howard confirmed that SAG would participate. Nowhere in either union's announcement was the m-word to be found. Reardon explained to Back Stage that the absence was intentional."As I think we have said in the article and elsewhere, the word 'merger' comes freighted with a lot of past interpretation for members of both unions and of all persuasions on the issue," Reardon said, referring to an...
- 8/4/2010
- backstage.com
NBC today canceled "Law & Order," the show about the police who investigate the crime, the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders, and -- as comedian John Mulaney puts it -- the guys who while being questioned by homicide detectives will not stop unloading crates. The series aired for 20 seasons, the same number as "Gunsmoke," making it the longest running prime-time TV drama to not feature a character named Festus.IMDb.com lists 2,323 actors on its "Law & Order" page -- which isn't even close to the actual number of thesps who have played bartenders, cab drivers, nannies and other quintessentially New York characters since the show first aired in 1990. You see, IMDb only lists actors who have worked on the series two or more times. That's how many people have been on "Law & Order" -- so many that if you only did it once, you don't count. "Almost all the actors...
- 5/14/2010
- backstage.com
An open letter from AFTRA's top brass calling for "one media and entertainment union for all actors, performers and broadcast journalists" has met with mixed reaction from SAG leaders, with moderates hailing it as an important step and hard-liners sounding a note of caution.
SAG president Ken Howard, who was elected last year on a platform that advocated merger with AFTRA, was among those who praised the letter.
"I'm delighted to see AFTRA's leadership speak out forcefully about something that I and other SAG leaders so strongly support," he said. "Joining SAG and AFTRA to create a single union is essential to performers maximizing their power. It's undoubtedly an idea whose time has come."
But SAG 1st vp Anne-Marie Johnson's reaction was less enthusiastic. She ran against Howard last year as a member of the hard-line MembershipFirst faction, which has stood in opposition to merger and helped stymie the...
SAG president Ken Howard, who was elected last year on a platform that advocated merger with AFTRA, was among those who praised the letter.
"I'm delighted to see AFTRA's leadership speak out forcefully about something that I and other SAG leaders so strongly support," he said. "Joining SAG and AFTRA to create a single union is essential to performers maximizing their power. It's undoubtedly an idea whose time has come."
But SAG 1st vp Anne-Marie Johnson's reaction was less enthusiastic. She ran against Howard last year as a member of the hard-line MembershipFirst faction, which has stood in opposition to merger and helped stymie the...
- 4/7/2010
- by By Daniel Holloway, Back Stage
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An open letter from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists' top brass calling for "one media and entertainment union for all actors, performers and broadcast journalists" has met with mixed reaction from leaders of the Screen Actors Guild, with moderates hailing it as an important step and hard-liners sounding a word of caution.SAG president Ken Howard, who was elected last year on a platform that advocated merger with AFTRA, was among those who praised the letter. "I'm delighted to see AFTRA's leadership speak out forcefully about something that I and other SAG leaders so strongly support," Howard said. "Joining SAG and AFTRA to create a single union is essential to performers maximizing their power. It's undoubtedly an idea whose time has come."But SAG 1st vice president Anne-Marie Johnson's reaction was less enthusiastic. Johnson ran against Howard last year as a member of the hard-line MembershipFirst faction,...
- 4/7/2010
- backstage.com
"I think viewers are going to be happy to see this lineup of great new shows that will truly fit the NBC legacy of quality, culturally defining shows."That was Angela Bromstad, president of NBC Entertainment, unveiling the television network's 2009-10 lineup to the media last May. At the heart of that schedule was Jay Leno, who days later hosted his final episode of "The Tonight Show." In a move NBC touted as a coup—and many working in scripted television decried as a harbinger of the end times—Leno agreed to stay with the network and set up shop five nights a week in the 10 p.m. time slot that had traditionally been home to some of TV's best-known dramas. NBC planned to do nothing short of change the way broadcast networks program their schedules, a tradition-rooted process built on viewing habits formed over generations.Oops.Come December, Bromstad...
- 1/20/2010
- backstage.com
You could have heard a body drop when news reached the Filmshaft office that Dagenham was hosting a cauldron of gangster violence, sexual deviance and the supernatural. “What’s the story there? Why don’t we go the whole hog and report on the f—king local buses?” was just one response but when Filmshaft informed Ed Whitfield that there were vampires and free sandwiches involved, his mood changed. “I suppose I could go and take a look…”
It’s a freezing cold November morning in Dagenham, East London and I’m lost in a labyrinthine maze of industrial hangers and silver gilded fences. “Where the f—k am I?” is my question to a stray dog and I reach for the I-phone map app. This technological marvel, coded by a bastard evidently, tells me that my destination is the other side of an imposing 12 foot wall of perforated corrugated sheeting.
It’s a freezing cold November morning in Dagenham, East London and I’m lost in a labyrinthine maze of industrial hangers and silver gilded fences. “Where the f—k am I?” is my question to a stray dog and I reach for the I-phone map app. This technological marvel, coded by a bastard evidently, tells me that my destination is the other side of an imposing 12 foot wall of perforated corrugated sheeting.
- 11/27/2009
- by Ed Whitfield
- FilmShaft.com
By Daniel Frankel
Two weeks after losing out to Ken Howard for the Screen Actors Guild’s national presidency, Anne-Marie Johnson has been re-elected by acclimation as first vice president of the guild’s Hollywood division.
Johnson has served three prior terms in the post.
Monday’s divisional elections also placed Mike Hodge, who won the guild’s New York regional presidency late last month, in the dual role of second vice president.
“I look forward to ser...
Two weeks after losing out to Ken Howard for the Screen Actors Guild’s national presidency, Anne-Marie Johnson has been re-elected by acclimation as first vice president of the guild’s Hollywood division.
Johnson has served three prior terms in the post.
Monday’s divisional elections also placed Mike Hodge, who won the guild’s New York regional presidency late last month, in the dual role of second vice president.
“I look forward to ser...
- 10/7/2009
- by Daniel Frankel
- The Wrap
Anne-Marie Johnson, who lost the SAG presidential election last month, has retained her post as 1st national vp.
The Hollywood Division board re-elected Johnson by acclamation Monday. She also will continue as chair of the division's board.
"I hope to continue to help lead with honesty, inclusion and determination," she said. "We are and will be facing extraordinary challenges, and it is my responsibility to do my best to continue to put the concerns and well-being of SAG members first."
Also Monday, the New York Division board elected Mike Hodge, the division's new president, as SAG's 2nd vp.
"I'm excited and looking forward to a year of very productive volunteering," he said. "We're not out of the woods yet, but I think we can make some real progress this year."
Johnson ("Jag," "Pursuit of Happiness") is a 25-year SAG member who has served three previous terms as 1st national vp.
The Hollywood Division board re-elected Johnson by acclamation Monday. She also will continue as chair of the division's board.
"I hope to continue to help lead with honesty, inclusion and determination," she said. "We are and will be facing extraordinary challenges, and it is my responsibility to do my best to continue to put the concerns and well-being of SAG members first."
Also Monday, the New York Division board elected Mike Hodge, the division's new president, as SAG's 2nd vp.
"I'm excited and looking forward to a year of very productive volunteering," he said. "We're not out of the woods yet, but I think we can make some real progress this year."
Johnson ("Jag," "Pursuit of Happiness") is a 25-year SAG member who has served three previous terms as 1st national vp.
- 10/7/2009
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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