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'My life sucks,' says SAG president
The sun was setting in Alan Rosenberg’s sitting room as he considered the state of his life two days after an internal coup ousted his hand-chosen negotiator, Doug Allen.
SAG president Alan Rosenberg poses with his guitar. Photo by Sharon Waxman
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The sun was setting in Alan Rosenberg’s sitting room at his home in Santa Monica on Wednesday, as he considered the state of his life two days after an internal coup ousted his hand-chosen negotiator, Doug Allen. He’d been writing a song about the union, and sang it for TheWrap. (Hear the song, or read the lyrics.)
“My life sucks,” Rosenberg, the president of the Screen Actors Guild, acknowledged. “Here I am – my partner was fired. I’m muzzled. It’s certainly disappointing. I’ve seen all my hard work of the past three and a half years amounting to nothing. The liars and manipulators have won.”
He was speaking about his fellow unionists, of course, not about his opponents in the contract talks.(He has also split recently with his wife, actress Marg Helgenberger.) In a 90-minute talk about what went wrong this week and what has gone wrong in the past seven months of negotiations, Rosenberg blamed the lack of a deal on those who opposed him and who now control the fate of negotiations.
And he continued to defend the ousted national executive director, Doug Allen, lauding him as “extraordinary” and “the best thing that’s ever happened to our union.”
“Yeah, I’m angry,” he said. “Sad. Disappointed. The last two days I feel sort of isolated. I’m shut out from planning meetings. I feel isolated from the operations of the union.”
Indeed he is. Within a few hours Rosenberg’s replacements at SAG and counterparts at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers jointly announced two days of meetings on Feb. 3 and 4 in Sherman Oaks.
When asked why he considered Allen so extraordinary, Rosenberg said he and Allen had been willing “to move mountains” to get a deal with the studios, but the studios would not move an inch, while his negotiator was undermined by the moderate factions in New York and Los Angeles.
“How do you get anything done when 48% of your board is going to trash you in the press?” he asked.
Rosenberg said he has been buoyed by a flood of emails of support, but encounters angry guild members when he goes to auditions. Their anger confuses him, he said. “Why are people angry at us when everyone knows it’s a bad deal?” “We did something wrong because we continue to fight?”
The fact that the economy is in recession is no reason to take a bad deal, he said, which gave no concessions on residuals for new media. “People talk about the economy, but you don’t abdicate your responsibility,” he said. “No deal is better than a bad deal.”
Rosenberg admitted that he “did a little filibustering” at a contentious, 28-hour meeting on Jan 12 and 13, where moderates tried to oust Allen. But he insisted he followed the rules, and drew out the meeting to defend an unjustly targeted Allen. “I was not going to allow a man as extraordinary as he is, who has done so much for the membership, be scapegoated in a kangaroo court.”
Rosenberg remains convinced that a solid strike action could have gotten the movie and television companies to improve the $250 million offer that has been on the table since the summer.
Comments
Cherry1 Says
What is completely forgotten by Alan and the "children" is that the effects of their actions affect thousands of industry individuals un-involved in your fight- yes real people! People that have to eat and pay their mortgages... while you are fighting for your "rights."games
Tabetha Says
Your life do not have to suck
just say out loud now Jesus I
believe and I receive you in my
heart please go to leroyjenkins.com
to get more help
Anonymous Says
Burn in Hell, Alan! You've killed SAG with your inept leadership and penchant for a strike. Go back to acting, if anyone in this town will hirer a 2nd rate bum like you.
Renee Aubry Says
A union divided against itself is doomed to failure. The National Board of the Screen Actors Guild must first reach a concensus and learn to speak with only ONE VOICE.. No Negotiating Team can succeed without the UNDIVIDED support of the National Board and the SAG membership.
The reason d'etre for a union is to collectively bargain with employers on behalf of union members for MINIMUM wages, terms and working conditions.
To achieve a fair contract, it is imperative that SAG negotiators have the UNITED support of the union membership when it goes into contract negotiations with employers.
Some SAG members are Actors who are also Employer/Producers. Needless to say, these Actor/Producers have a vested interest in the projects they produce; i.e. salary, plus up front and.or back end points, perks, etc, etc. etc.. Some Actors are 'greenlighters'; those with name clout which translates into box office draw.
Actors who work for MINIMUM wages benefit most from successful union negotiations. Also, Actors who demand and can get their lucrative 'quotes' (over scale) benefit from improved terms and working conditions.
However, 'stars' who have vested interests in a TV series or movie may not want MINIMUMS to increase when they may be the SAG signatory employer and/or producer.
Both external interference and internal politics sabotaged the SAG Negotiating Team headed by Alan Rosenberg and Doug Alan.
Internal politics divide and destroy Only Actors can defeat Actors.
It may be important to point out that those who are elected to the National Board of Directors of the Screen Actors including the President and Secretary Treasurer, Alan Rosenberg and Cconnie Stevens, are UNPAID volunteers.
Anonymous Says
I've never seen or heard a whinier pansy. Dude bitches like a 4 yr old who's lost his favorite toy. And the song is ridiculous.
MR ACTOR Says
Personally, I do not think Star Actors, directors and even writers are over paid because, they bring a bankable product to the table. After you take out taxes, career and added security expenses that pay check is a lot smaller. There is a moral responsibility attached to that kind of public wealth. When you hear of the outrageous money spent on the personal luxuries of some, it becomes hard to have any sympathy for their lives. On the other hand, If the rank and file of the unions felt a honest support for the average union member whom may never reach the success they have enjoyed, the feelings expressed would be different. You have to ask the question; How much is enough? How much do you need to have before you start giving back? Greed has taken down the greatest of all entities and greed will destroy the enterainment industry if not controlled.
Kilroy Rogers Says
Why do folks think that marquee name actors and directors are overpaid?
What about athletes who make hundreds of millions in a career? Or pop stars?
We stopped admiring our astronauts and scientists and painters and sculptors many years ago, so it's a little late to bitch about it.
Anonymous Says
I hope that Alan realizes that being President of the Screen Actors Guild is not a role but a real life position. It seems to me that he likes the pose of working class hero and revolutionary and is completely discounting the lives thousands of working men and women who depend on work in the film business to pay their mortgages and feed their families. These people never get famous, never collect residuals and get by from gig to gig. In addition there are hundreds of actors who work when they can, who have no pension or health insurance from the union, who would be deprived of work also.
There could be a long discussion about who actually makes a profit from films. In addition, what the actual profits will be from new media is absolutely theoretical at this point . There are a lot of producers of independent films who never go home wealthy. So it seems that SAGs holding out from the deal which others have accepted is a slightly paranoid and delusional position.
Alan is behaving like Rod Blagojevich. It's time to stop self-dramatizing and grow up. I'm from a coal mining town where miners would love to have SAGs current contract with the producers. Stop whining SAG and look at the bigger picture.
The Mostly Anonymous John Galt Says
What is completely forgotten by Alan and the "children" is that the effects of their actions affect thousands of industry individuals un-involved in your fight- yes real people! People that have to eat and pay their mortgages... while you are fighting for your "rights."
We could debate endlessly who has a right to what and really get nowhere. Where is Ayn Rand when we need her! The truth is SAG and WGA and even the DGA don't give a shit about anything but themselves. Its not about furthering the industry, its not about making good movies or TV - its really all about what you can take away from an individual project - what you have decided is yours!
Yes there is a handful of over-paid zealots at one side of the issue, yes there is a handful of really focused (rabidly so) individuals who seem to think that they have a moral right to more and more and more! Both sides are the folk who have ruined this industry to the point where it will be lucky to survive ultimately.
These are the folk that drove up the price of making movies and made it necessary for corporations to become involved in industries where traditionally it existed on the strengths of individuals with vision - individuals who once could get the finance on the strength of their reputation. When you now have two or three people skimming everything off at the top why should any of us care what happens to you? You don't care about us non-SAG lackies!
Only the corporate approach could feed the financial black hole that was created by greed - point to the actors and directors and writers who are making stupid amounts of money every time out. NO ONE is worth that kind of money and NO UNION is ever going to make a difference at that level. EVER.
You as a union (also read: WGA and DGA here) allowed this to happen when you allowed over scale to begin way back in the dark ages. Now we all suffer! You have ALL had a hand in the KILLING OF AN INDUSTRY! You are ALL GUILTY! Just wait - synthetic actors are coming and there is nothing you can do about it! And I for one won't shed a tear!
MR Actor Says
Every war has a winner and a looser. If Alan and AMJ win, the struggling actor looses. If Alan and AMJ loose, the struggling actor looses. In both scenarios the producer wins. All of our elected officials have weakened our Guilds image, solidarity and financial stability. This war is against the have and the have/not's inside our Guild and outside of our Guild. The primary employer is the producer and they have successfully infiltrated our Guild and are driving it into the ground.
Civil War Says
The Civl War in the USA brought about the most needed and necessary changes in the United States today. Allan's "Civil War" will bring about the most needed and necessary changes and will benefit all actors and labor unions in the future.
Anonymous Says
I think that any actor, who becomes a Producer/Actor, gives up their right to comment on these negotiations. It's a conflict of interest. Of course they want to side with the producers and are telling SAG to just accept the new contract.. They're making a gazillion dollars a movie anyway. This contract will suit them just fine.
MR Actor Says
Kevin, because of your sustained career success I can appreciate your comment. The Union and the paid staff are great. Where I disagree is the childish actions of our elected officials. I have served on the board and many of the committees. I am glad I am no longer in that arena. I will support my Union but, I find it nearly impossible to support the political battles created by both factions. These battles are destroying OUR UNION. They have both taken their eye of the ball because they think it's their Union. The Union belongs to the ACTOR not the political parties, the producers or actor/producers.
Kevin Dobson Says
OK, let's move on. SAG needs our support. I like the way a union fights for what is fair deal, so let's get it done and move forward with a positive attitude.
Kevin Dobson (1966)
MR Actor Says
Restore Respect was the majority and Membershipfirst was the minority. Power shift and MF fired our Union leader. Power shift again and again our Union leader is fired. Alan and AMJ (first vice president) are reaping the rewards of their actions, quit whining!! The membership as a whole is going to reap it's reward for their choice of elected officials. The majority of our super stars are producers and will be laughing all the way to the bank. They should all be brought up on conduct unbecoming for what they have said against our Union. Any member that has interest in or owns a production company should not be able to vote on or comment on any contract negotiation. It's a simple conflict of interest. Not one person is to blame for the health of our Union but, the entire lethargic membership is to blame. With this kind of leadership how long will SAG be around?
Anonymous Says
Oh please. Alan, you have never given the full membership your full and undivided service. You have made it very apparent that you only care about Members First . And they're they guy who brung ya.
The song is fine. That's your deal. How arrogant that you think we want to hear it? Wow.
Why are you surprised that the new leadership who is serving the rest of the guild wanted you to friggin shut the heck up? I remind you "....Civil War!!!"
No surprise to us. That's what we want. We want you and the rest of the spouters of hate and lunacy to shut up so therest of us can get some work done on the contract. You and Doug failed. You could redeem yourself and at least attempt to work with the majority. That is obviously beyond your ability.
Just go away. For yourself, for the guild, for the industry. Go away. Regroup and maybe someday you can serve again. Your time is up.
Signed
An Actor who's sick of all the screaming from Hollywood. Over NOTHING.
Erik-Anders Nilsson Says
Alan, thanks for all your hard work to secure decent and fair contracts for our entire membership.
There are those in our Guild and on the SAG Board who are selfish and who, "go-along-to-get-along". They are NOT true union / Guild activists in a traditional sense.
Shame on the ironically named United for Strength (UFS) and the NY faction United Screenactors Nationwide (USAN) cabal.
Alan, there are countlesss members WITH YOU!
zackery Says
The big picture is greedy CEOs wrecked the banking system and our economy. Then they took $700 billion of our money and peeled off a cool $20 billion to give themselves bonuses. They spend their days moving your jobs overseas, repossessing your cars and homes and figuring out ways to lower your wages and steal away your children's education and health care. And they are succeeding. Please look around, that is the goal of corporations; to amass wealth.
As easy as it is to blame Rosenberg, he tirelessly fought and continues to fight it seems against CEO's and corporate greed to save the wages of the lower class and middle class actors in the UNION. This isn't a fight about movie STARS wages, it's about your neighbors.
Make your jokes about the actors' fight. But when you're done please understand we are all this boat together being rolled over by corporate greed. If you need to laugh and joke while the AMPTP forces this contract forward that moves working actors from $20K-$50K a year to people who can't make a living and no longer qualify for health insurance, please pepare for your family to be next.
These corporations love to take bailout money and bonuses then, when your contract comes up say "SAG took this cut. Thousands of workers in their UNION had to give up health insurance and take wage cuts too, and we're gonna have to do the same with your UNION to stay competative. It's just the way things are." You'd better hope you have negotiators as dedicated as Rosenberg and Allen.
I'm proud to still have Rosenberg fighting for my UNION and fighting for the future of yours. The hell with the gossip.
Mendel ben-Jihadi Says
"All seems infected that the infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye"
-- Alexander Pope, in 'An Essay on Criticism' (1711)
"You can't always get what you want"
-- The Rolling Stones (1968)
"They hate me, they really really hate me!"
-- Alan Rosenberg (2009)
Anonymous Says
SAG needs to know what they do not only affects themselves, but all of the industry. The WGA really hurt EVERYBODY in the industry, now its the actors turn. It not about minimum wage, it's about fighting over pennies.
jack english Says
hang in there, alan................tuff deal...........jack english..ny/.la actor
Laura Says
"Actors are. . . children." No kidding, huh, Alan? And how do most children's negotiations work out? Big-mouthed, pie-in-the-sky bragging? Tantrums? Whining about whether things are fair? Crying about slights forever after?
Yup, you're right. Some actors are children.
Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey Says
Isn't this how Woody Guthrie started out?
warbad Says
If this were a movie A. R. would be the comic relief. You couldn't make this up.
"No. Really. My cousin's a rock star."
-What goes around, falls apart.
justsaying Says
At least he's not a drama queen, oh wait....
Virtuakd Says
Is this guy really fit to lead?
--- An Interested Party ---
andy Says
Lest any one chortles in response to Alan's predicament, remember that this guy fought the good fight ( a concept that is foreign to virtually everyone in this business whose opinions and taste are formed by whoever is above them on the food chain).
One aspect that makes actors great at their job (emotion), makes them horrible in negotiations.
The argument should have been framed as a minimum wage argument (which it truly what it is). This would have eliminated all the policy wonk verbiage which made people's eyes gloss over.
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