1-Replace Bob Pisano immediately. A former MGM exec has no business
running a union. He has also cheated actors out of untold millions
by conveniently taking the DVD issue off the negotiating table. You
sort of glossed over that but that is the central issue for actors.

2-Replace many of the careerist, redundant upper level staff with
more field reps. We need more field reps actually enforcing
contracts rather than highly paid office staff kowtowing to Mr.
Pisano for higher paychecks.

Over the 8 year period I worked on sets doing union background and
standin work, I rarely witnessed SAG reps enforcing contracts,
especially ensuring that the actual numbers of SAG actors were being
hired per contracts. There has been massive cheating on this that
should result in a massive class action suit against the producton
companies and SAG.

3-Again, enforce contracts-You regulars on here are constantly
harping on GR-1, financial core, how we should punish SAG actors
doing nonunion, when you fail to apply any sensible standards to
SAG. SAG is paid millions of our dues to ENFORCE contracts. This is
not being done. They are constantly brokerng sweetheart deals
cheating dues payers out of thousands of jobs, ignoring massive
cheating and actually helping the studios blacklist dues paying
actors who attemptto have SAG do its job.

4-Run a transparent union. Dues payers need to know where our money
is going. Instead of SAG Actor running articles about warm and fuzzy
irrelevant issues we need to see full itemizations and a full
accounting mailled to all dues payers of where exactly our money is
going. There are too many cases of accounting secrecy and our dues
money going to pay for inflated real estate costs,
overpaid "consultants" and million dollar referenda initiated to
help agents and producers and not the dues payers. This has to stop!

5-SAG needs to abolish the voucher mode of entry and replace it with
a rational form of entry based on talent, type or work put in to
gain membership. The current system has created a huge illegal
blackmarket for buying SAG vouchers at a markup. Essentially, SAG
has been operating as a Cartel charging what the market will bear
for membership via illegal labor racketeering due to the voucher
system as well as indiscriminate admission of new members primarily
to make money and not for the benefit of members.

SAG needs to start a casting center as an alternative to the private
casting companies that shakedown actors for bribes, calling service
fees and "workshop" fees. Many members have asked for this over the
years only to be ignored and ridiculed by board members. SAG needs
to enforce the rule that CDs not charge for access. Why hasn't this
been done? Who benefits?

6-SAG "leadership" needs to treat all members as equals. And
especially protect the interests of those who need it most rather
than taking their money and dismissing their interests. There should
be no more designating groups as background, voiceover, principal
etc but instead there needs to be enforcement of all contracts for
all members. As any given member may work any of these categories.
The caste mentality of those who have inherited their positions must
stop. SAG and Hollywood is being run by a hereditary caste that must
act responsibly or step aside for leaders who will run SAG and
Hollywood based on principles of equal opportunity and merit,
instead of the current operative principles of nepotism, bribery,
cronyism and corruption.

7-Artists should initiate massive legal actions and letter writing
campaigns as well as get elected to the board to see that we are
compensated for this longstanding, systemic financial fraud against
our community by the business as usual crooked Hollywood and the
company run union SAG.

See my group http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/maaporg2004/