Hollywood SAG members speak up for Allen

Embattled SAG Executive Director Doug Allen got a boost from his supporters in Hollywood.

Allen's supporters issued a statement today saying a majority of Hollywood Division board members strongly backed their leader, who has been on the job for two years.

"He is a true unionist and the strongest and most dedicated National Executive Director/Chief Negotiator the Screen Actors Guild has seen in decades,'' said the statement, which was signed by 34 actors, including Justine Bateman and Scott Bakula.

They also took direct aim at Allen's detractors, who've accused him of mishandling contract negotiations with the studios. "They've pursued a campaign to confuse and frighten the general membership," the actors said of Allen's critics. The actors also said they support Allen's proposal to suspend the union's strike authorization vote and allow members to vote directly on the studio's final contract offer.

Although the board majority urged Allen to call off the strike vote, originally set for Jan. 2, they oppose having members vote on the offer as is. Instead, they argued, the union should first seek to negotiate better terms.

It's not clear what effect the show of support will have on Allen's fate. Moderates, who command a majority of votes on the national board and will ultimately have final say on whether he keeps his job, are continuing to seek his ouster.

— Richard Verrier

Comments

[Algernon]

I am a SAG working Class actor I am tired of thr press's slanted coverage on this contract stalemate . from the working class actors which total SAG membership is over 100 thousand . A B or whatever list actors that are supporting a certain stance does not sway the majority members decisions on voting. No press have polled any actor such as myself to find out our concerns with all the infighting Producer stonewalling and ill spirited bargaining from the producers. The middle class actors such as myself need to go back to work I am going to vote on the contract that will be presented to vote onthey can work out the stickey points of the contract at a future date why hold everyone and the business hostage . We need to qualify for health care coverage in a certain amount of time. No one is talikg about all the actors that are at the edge of financial disaster, who cares what an A or B list actor's opinion is when they have access to unlimitted finances and don't have to qualify for health insurance and pensions credits like the struggling working actor. If any Press out there really want to get the inside perspective on this stalemate that has been dragging on unnecessarilly for 1 year then feel free to email me . And after that happens then you can report on this topic with a full perspective that includes the majority of the SAG membership that no one seems to care to find out what they think or care out.