AFTRA: 34 MILLION REASONS WHY BEING UNION MATTERS

From the AFTRA Press release: 34.4 Million Reasons Why Being Union Matters

As reported at the 2009 AFTRA National Convention, AFTRA recovered more than $34.4 million in claims and H&R contributions for AFTRA members since the last Convention in the summer of 2007.

This is real money that your union has pursued against employers and returned to AFTRA members. Although most of these claims were initiated by the union office through AFTRA’s normal enforcement and compliance efforts, some claims were initiated based on information we receive from you – the members – about late payments or payments not received at all, or discrepancies between your AFTRA H&R Earnings Report and your pay stubs, or seeing your commercial or TV show re-run but not receiving your residual.

As a professional performer or journalist, stay vigilant and keep track of your earnings. Learn about what your AFTRA contract guarantees. Check your payments against your own records and time sheets. If you notice a mistake or have any questions, contact your AFTRA office right away, and we’ll help you figure it out.

In this economy, every dollar counts, and AFTRA is here to help make sure that you and your family get all the money and benefits you deserve.

Learn more at http://www.aftra.com/

AFTRANOW ENDORSES USAN'S NEW YORK SLATE

'09 SAG ELECTION CAMPAIGN
NEW YORK

AFTRANOW has endorsed USAN candidates MIKE HODGE--New York Division President and the NY Nominating Committee Candidates SHARON WASHINGTON, LIZ ZAZZI, MANNY ALFARO, DAVE BACHMAN, MARC BARON, JUSTIN BARRETT, SAM FREED, SHEILA HEAD, JOE NARCISCO, JAY POTTER, JOHN ROTHMAN, KEVIN SCULLIN, and MONICA TROMBETTA.

AFTRANOW's statement from their website: "We reiterate an earlier post: we are not affiliated in any way with a group calling itself Membership First/SAGNOW. We encourage you to visit the USAN website and familiarize yourself with the outstanding men and women running to help lead SAG into the 21st century."

The United Screen Actors Nationwide site is: www.unitedscreenactors.com

AFTRANOW MESSAGE: AFTRA-BASHING MEMBERSHIP FIRST HAS COPIED OUR NAME-DON'T BE CONFUSED BY THEIR TACTICS

AFTRANOW's PRESS RELEASE FROM THEIR WEBSITE:

A Message From the Members of AftraNOW

Please be aware that a group from another union has imitated our name. This group, SAGNOW, is “Membership First” in New York and has made many negative comments regarding AFTRA, AftraNOW, and the leadership of AftraNOW. We should not be confused with them, are not affiliated with them, and have have no realtionship with Membership First /SAGNOW.

Traditionally, AftraNOW members have supported the members of ALT, the AFTRA Leadership Team, USAN, the United Screen Actors Network, and more recently, UFS, Unite For Strength.

New. Organized. Working. From the beginning, the thirty eight members of AftraNOW have sought to negotiate the best media contracts possible, whether for television, radio, or recorded music and sound. Our goal has always been to build our strength, grow our opportunity, and develop strategy to successfully meet the changes of our new century. Thanks to your continued support, we believe we are well on our way.