Infighting may bring down curtain on actors’ union

LOS ANGELES — The largest union representing actors has promised a new, tougher stance in contract talks with powerful media conglomerates. But the Screen Actors Guild may selfdestruct before it ever gets the chance.

The labour union’s long-running infighting has escalated into what could become a mutiny after the election in September of SAG President Alan Rosenberg.

Rosenberg and his allies gained a majority on the national board by pledging to squeeze more money from the studios from the sale of DVDs and new technologies, including downloading of films and TV shows. He also pledged to unite SAG’s feuding factions.

Instead, Rosenberg, 55, divided the union even more by almost immediately firing popular SAG national executive director Greg Hessinger. He had been hired by the previous leadership, which Rosenberg accused of surrendering too easily on key economic issues in contract talks last year.

Many union members see the firing as an arrogant display of power by Rosenberg that could finally split the union into two groups — one that represents film and TV actors, primarily based in Hollywood, and another mostly comprised of members in New York, Chicago and elsewhere who do commercials and voiceovers.

Paul Christie, president of SAG’s New York branch, said talk of a split has heated up since the election of Rosenberg, who was a regular on the TV series LA Law and The Guardian, and is married to CSI star Marg Helgenberger.

“I think he’s capable of better things,” Christie said.

With 120,000 members, SAG has always been a fragmented labour union, representing both multimillionaire superstars and rank-and-file membership with an unemployment rate of more than 80 per cent.

Membership in the union is all but required to work in films. television and commercials. Many SAG members also belong to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has jurisdiction over the prime- time schedule of major networks, among other areas.

Rosenberg’s agenda mirrors that of the newly elected president of the Writers Guild of

America, west. Patric Verrone also ran on a promise to get tougher with studios and also fired his executive director soon after taking office.

Both men justified the firings by saying they needed staff who would push their agendas of increasing membership, fighting the rise of reality TV shows and gaining more economic concessions from studios.

Rosenberg’s action deepened the geographic rift that already existed in the union.

Actors outside Hollywood are not as reliant on residuals from DVDs and other technology and are less inclined to endure a lengthy, costly strike over the issue. Those actors also fear Los Angeles- based members, who control the guild because of their numbers, will abuse their power and push through an agenda that ignores the needs of actors in other regions.

Rosenberg acknowledges that bridging these differences is his most pressing challenge. “ You have people living in all different areas of the country who feel like they’re muzzled and don't have a voice,” he said. Associated Press