Posted by Connie Terwilliger on May 07, 1998 at 17:26:16:
In Reply to: Re: Financial Core-The Real Poop-Answering Jack posted by William Fowler on May 07, 1998 at 13:47:01:
I have sat down at this keyboard at least a dozen times over the past several months to try to formulate a response to the original post.
After writing and rewriting for what seemed like hours, I would erase everything and move on. It is such a complex and emotional issue, that I felt I would be unable to accurately reflect my feelings and reasons for going FC.
Bill has encapsulated my concerns (and my personal experiences!) almost exactly. I, too, was actively involved in AFTRA leadership for several years, as a former local president and board member, with a similar experience trying to get the union to see how unfair it was to force producers to pay for long runs when a spot was only airing for a day (at the time it was a full 13-week obligation, I believe). The constant friction between the union and the producers/management became too much for me. It was not an easy decision to make, but, as a professional, I wanted to put my skills to use in my field. I did not want to take a "day job", as was suggested in the final sentence of the first post on this subject.
Also in an earlier post it was said: "... if every member was to declare dues paying non-member status, there would be no AFTRA or SAG. This would lead to no contracts or minimum rates for performers and we would all be working for a great deal less than we do now."
I'm not sure either of those assumptions would be true. If every member was to declare financial core status, then, yes, there would be no "union". That could be the good news actually -- because since the money would still be coming in -- it (the union) would have no choice but to evolve into something else -- a professional organization perhaps -- one not forced to try to conform to antiquated labor laws that really don't apply to actors. (We are not, after all, going to get a job because we are the next in line at the union hall.) Possibly an organization that does not maintain an adversarial position with the producers. Possibly an organization that looks at the real issues talent and the industry faces today...a huge - yet fractionalized market with widely divergent audiences and budgets.
This is an important discussion -- since the information is usually not openly discussed. I am pleased to see that, so far, it is being handled well.