The CEOs Are Why There’s No Finalized Contract to Read for SAG-AFTRA
the four CEOs are why things are so broken
the four CEOs are why things are so broken
I probably shouldn’t post this. I might even want to delete it soon. If the CEOs knew I existed, they might not like me for this. But I’m just asking questions because this is irritating me:
A journalist who hates unions wrote an article detailing “fragments” in the SAG-AFTRA board over the tentative agreement. The “fragmenting” may not be real, but the journalist revealed something else, just by writing the article.
I finally figured out something too plausible to ignore.
I suspect it is the CEOs dragging their feet to finalize the language in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) of the SAG-AFTRA tentative agreement in an effort to destroy the union through infighting. Does the CEOs’ legal team also participate in the drafting of the MOA in any way? Or is it purely the SAG-AFTRA staff? Why would the CEOs allow the people they kept on strike so long draft the final language alone, all by themselves? They wouldn’t.
Why has the largest entertainment union in the world always, for decades, voted on ratifying contracts without seeing the final language of the contracts first? It can’t be that the union’s staff is somehow suddenly slow. They just strongly completed the longest actors strike in film history, and are we supposed to believe that the same staff is somehow magically, suddenly, inexplicably, not effective at final paperwork after such a public display of their abilities that show they do their work well. No.
I don’t have firm evidence, but it is an Occam’s Razor style explanation. It is the simplest explanation. Who wants to shake the union’s confidence? Who always wants the unions to falter? Who stands to lose and who stands to gain by the finalized MOA’s delay until after a vote?
After 191 days of striking and maintaining unity, we are hearing people doubt and distrust the summaries. Summaries are only standing in for the final language because… could it be the CEOs have their people slowing down its completion and release?
Who benefits from a union not having the information in a timely manner? Who wants the union’s extraordinary unity and ability to organize itself tarnished by anything at all? By a lack of clarity? Who wants the finalized language to go unread by the members before they vote? Who has wanted that to be how things go for years and years? Just because it has been that way before this doesn’t mean it wasn’t in the companies best interests for it to be, and at the expense of the union members, right?
With the final language, union members could, in virtually one voice, approve or disapprove it. With only summaries and infographics…
Well, looking around, the other thing could be happening.
It seems to me the final language may remove uncertainty from the vote, and the CEOs have an interest in keeping things muddy. They want the union and its members to be uncertain.
If lawyers from both sides must draft the language, isn’t it vital to note that one side has a vested interest in slow rolling it so union members don’t see the final language before ratifying. It is not the union side that gains through the slowness.
Who has always wanted the unions in the dark on things that are important to them? Management.
Why aren’t Bob, Ted, Donna, Zaslav and all the other AMPTP executives, with all their extensive access and ownership of media outlets, not expressing concern about the ratification not passing? Why aren’t they publicly worried it might not pass? Don’t they want this deal? Don’t they want a smooth ratification process? Yes they do, but not a well informed one.
Could it be the CEOs want union chaos more than the CEOs want ratification?
The possibility of the largest entertainment union building on its now activated and more engaged membership is not something the CEOs want, right? Do the CEOs want union solidarity to continue so the big union of SAG-AFTRA throws its support and its full power behind its sister unions next year? Would the CEOs tell some lawyers to take their time to avoid that? To degrade that?
Is it more precious to the CEOs to break the union’s unity than to get the deal they said they agreed to, the deal the CEOs need to have people stay working?
Maybe the CEOs tell their labor relations departments to slow things down, as a simple (what they think is low risk) tactic. What a simple way to muddy the waters of ratification by not having final language available. Is that what the CEOs think?
Should every worker, every union member make the CEOs regret not speeding along finalizing the language? I’m just asking questions here, right?
Think about how these CEOs handled things this year, and tell me I’m wrong: tell me this is not exactly the sort of thing these CEOs absolutely would do. Are doing.
© Copyright November 15, 2023, David August, all rights reserved davidaugust.com
David August is an award-winning actor, acting coach, writer, director, and producer. He plays a role in the movie Dependent’s Day, and after its theatrical run, it’s now out on Amazon (affiliate link). He has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC, on the TV show Ghost Town, and many others. His artwork has been used and featured by multiple writers, filmmakers, theatre practitioners, and others to express visually. Off-screen, he has worked at ad agencies, start-ups, production companies, and major studios, helping them tell stories their customers and clients adore. He has guest lectured at USC’s Marshall School of Business about the Internet.
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