SAG-AFTRA ELECTION CAMPAIGN LITERATURE

THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM ANNE-MARIE JOHNSON

Dear SAG-AFTRA Members:

Since announcing my candidacy for Los Angeles Local SAG-AFTRA National Board, I’ve been asked multiple times why I want to serve on the board again.

Simply put, as an “OG”, I’ve been disappointed in the “leadership” of our union for quite some time. Especially in the area of affirmative action. I use the term affirmative action and not “diversity” because one is an actual, forwarding-thinking action on behalf of those who have been and continued to be marginalized. The other is an aspiration. A hope. A convenient hashtag.

I was legacy SAG’s first African American 1st Vice President and first African American recipient of the Ralph Morgan Award, the highest honor bestowed on a SAG-AFTRA member who has served the union. I dedicated 17 years of union service, advocating for those of us, based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, and physical ability, who have not had the same audition, employment and earnings opportunities as others have.

From fighting for stronger non-discrimination language in our contracts, to challenging my fellow board members and staff on their lack of action and follow-through, to working to secure fair wages and working conditions… if elected I will continue my mission for fairness and inclusion.

The following are examples of actions that can be initiated with a MembershipFirst leadership:

- Create a task force to investigate claims of salary inequities experienced by members within minority groups.

- Introduce a motion to the national board to include in contract negotiations, on-set “Diversity Coordinators”, similar to Intimacy Coordinators.

- Create a President’s Task Force authorized to meet with IATSE to begin the process of ensuring that performers of color are provided make-up and hair professionals well trained and experienced in our particular needs.

Passing resolutions that go nowhere, creating hollow social-media campaigns, and appearing to be progressive in the boardroom but really doing nothing, doesn’t cut it. SAG-AFTRA members face passive, and sometimes overt discrimination and/or micro-aggression in audition spaces, and on sets. It takes forward-thinking and pro-active leadership to end these systemic practices.

Please vote: Anne-Marie Johnson #116, as well as Modine and Fisher, and the entire MembershipFirst team of candidates. https://www.membershipfirst.com

Thank you,

Anne-Marie

Special thanks to those who have endorsed my candidacy:*

Ed Harris, Ginger Chan, Christopher B. Duncan, Erika Alexander, Alan Rosenberg, Reno Wilson, Cindy Luna, Martin Grey, Danny Gardner, Mel Johnson Jr., John Marshall Jones, Wendy Raquel Robinson, JC Love, Louisa Abernathy, Mike Bell, Beverly Johnson, Raymond Forchion, Terri J.Vaughn, Michael Dorn, Debra Wilson, Lisa Dinkins, George Takei, Michole Briana White, Robert Chase, Wren Brown, Joe Hart, Lynn Burnett, Kevin Chamberlin, Sean Bolger….

Not Paid For With SAG-AFTRA Fund

*Partial List