AFTRA PITTSBURGH
JOINS NATIONAL CONVENTION
IN VOTING TO STRENGTHEN UNION

AFTRA Pittsburgh Delegates, 2003: (l to r,) Curt DeBor, David Early, Alan Boal, Nardi Novak, and Suzanne Steidl (Local Staff). Not shown: Paul Martino, Mark Roberts, Susan Chapek, Barbara Boylan, Adrienne Wehr, Dee Thompson, and John Haer (Local Staff.)

August 18, PITTSBURGH -- AFTRA REASSERTS MISSION

Meeting only a month after the narrow defeat of consolidation with the Screen Actors Guild, delegates to AFTRA’s biennial national convention in Nashville, including ten from Pittsburgh, reaffirmed their commitment to affiliation with SAG but also forged a program to advance members’ interests no matter what the outcome of future merger bids.

“We’re not going to let a temporary setback stop us from building a stronger union,” commented Pittsburgh AFTRA President Paul Martino, summing up the mood of the participants. To that end, the convention reviewed and lauded AFTRA’s recent advances, set goals and priorities, and increased the resources to accomplish them.

The organizational agenda is daunting. Artists are fighting to get meaningful health insurance coverage in the on-going sound recordings negotiations; the national commercials contract talks begin next month; and early talks on the national television programs code are likely. Meanwhile, the employers for whom we work continue to gain power through unbridled consolidation.

Amazingly, AFTRA has managed to win important victories despite the obstacles. We achieved new national agreements covering television programming and industrials. We have more cable network programming than ever. We forged a new agreement with talent agents. In radio, we won key voice-tracking limitations and H & R increases from Clear Channel in both New York and Washington. We helped push Congress to oppose recent FCC regulation changes that favored further media monopolization. And we spearheaded a ban on non-compete contracts for broadcasters in Illinois, Arizona, and Washington, DC.

Delegates were determined that this progress should continue and expand. Resolutions urged greater organizing and legislative action. And, while affirming the priority of affiliation with SAG, AFTRA will not act again until SAG members vote for consolidation.

Seeking to stabilize the union’s finances, on recommendation of the National Board, delegates also passed resolutions that provide for a special assessment of $50 per member in each of the next two years, a dues increase of 5% in each of the next two years, and an increase in the initiation fee. This significant boost in AFTRA’s revenue base, in the words of Executive Director Greg Hessinger, “is the only viable solution to enable the union to achieve long-term growth, density and power in all the industries within AFTRA’s broad jurisdiction.

The convention also unanimously reelected the inimitable John Connolly as President and NPR broadcaster Bob Edwards Vice President. This dynamic duo pledged to lead with new vigor and urged all members to lend a hand.