Unite for Strength was formed in 2008 by Hollywood Screen Actors Guild members concerned that SAG’s leadership was creating division among performers and isolating the Guild, weakening its position in contract negotiations. Unite for Strength organizers were especially concerned with the Guild’s repeated attacks on AFTRA, which resulted in the two unions negotiating the TV/Theatrical contract separately for the first time in over 25 years. In September 2008, a group of Unite for Strength members ran for the board of directors, to offer SAG members a new direction. UFS candidates won a majority of the available seats, with 5 being elected to the National Board and 13 to the Hollywood Division Board.
UFS board members called for a more unifying and strategic leadership approach, but these calls were rejected by Membership First leaders. By year’s end, those leaders had failed to successfully negotiate any of SAG’s numerous expired contracts, including the all-important TV/Theatrical contract. With SAG losing most new television coverage, and film production nearly halted due to the lack of a contract, UFS representatives joined with board members from New York and across the country to form a new majority coalition and take control of the TV/Theatrical and Commercials contract negotiations. Working jointly with AFTRA, this coalition led SAG in negotiating a new Commercials contract that was ratified by a landslide 94% vote. Three weeks later, a new TV/Theatrical contract was approved by members nearly 4 to 1 (78%-22%) with a record voting turnout.
Building on this momentum, in September, 2009 Unite for Strength candidates won 21 of 33 Hollywood Board seats, 4 additional National board seats, and both national offices, with Ken Howard elected as President and Amy Aquino as President and Secretary/Treasurer. Soon after, UFS leaders were elected as Hollywood chairs of a large number of important National and Local committees, including: Ned Vaughn for Communications, L. Scott Caldwell for EEOC and Women’s, Pamela Reed for Honors and Tributes, Hill Harper in Legislative and Guild Governance, Gabrielle Carteris for Commercial Performers, Michelle Allsopp for the SAG Website, Ellen Crawford for Members on the MOVE, Adam Arkin for Disciplinary Review, Stacey Travis for Low Budget, David Lawrence for New Technology, Clark Gregg for SAG Indie, Bill Smitrovich for Senior Performers, Dawnn Lewis for Singers, Mandy Steckelberg for Voice-Over, Vivicca Whitsett for Comedians, Conrad Palmisano for Stunt and Safety, Woody Schultz for Performance Capture, Amy Aquino for Finance, and Ken Howard for Agent Relations, Organizing and the SAG-AFTRA Task Force.
Unite for Strength members are a diverse group of SAG members who work in film and television, in commercials and animation, doing background work, motion capture, stunt coordination and voice-overs. While a few are newcomers and some are award-winning veterans, most are mid-career and depend on performing for their livelihoods. Some also apply their creativity to other areas, as active WGA writers and DGA directors, but they all look to the performers unions – SAG, AFTRA and Equity- for protection at work, fair compensation, health insurance and the pension that will be so vital down the line.We have differing views on some issues, but we wholeheartedly agree on this defining premise:
To fight effectively, SAG and AFTRA must work side-by-side and ultimately merge to create one powerful performers’ union.
That is the key to a stronger future and it is the purpose of Unite for Strength.
