Fran Drescher Re-Elected SAG-AFTRA President

In an election cycle that happened amid a historic strike, Fran Drescher has been re-elected SAG-AFTRA president.

In the meantime, Joely Fisher was re-elected the union’s secretary-treasurer. Drescher obtained 23,080 votes, over competitor Maya Gilbert-Dunbar’s 5,276 votes. Fisher obtained 19,777 votes, whereas challenger Pete Antico garnered 8,361 votes. The voter turnout was 22.84 p.c.

“I’m honored to serve my union as president for an additional time period,” Drescher mentioned in a press release. “A lot has been completed previously two years however I really feel nice optimism that the subsequent two can be our best ever! As we let go of tribalism and achieve extra empathy for each other, as we understand that with every expertise comes alternative to raised ourselves on our journey of self-refinement, we may even enter a golden age for SAG-AFTRA.”

In her personal assertion, Fisher mentioned, “Once we’re combating towards the complete present enterprise institution, the very last thing we would have liked was to battle one another. I’m glad you all agree.” She added, “I’m overwhelmed by your unprecedented assist and promise that president Drescher and I’ll transfer ahead with the identical dedication to unity exhibited on this election course of and — lastly — an honest contract.”

Drescher, the incumbent union chief and chair of SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee, was a fiery, vocal presence within the early days of the SAG-AFTRA strike, which started on July 14 and has since lasted 56 days. Drescher emphasised that the leisure trade was at a turning level, notably foregrounding the differential between astronomic CEO pay packages and the wages of journeyman Hollywood performers. Drescher gave a rousing speech in the course of the strike announcement — calling studio consultant the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers “a really grasping entity” and saying, “disgrace on them” — and criticized Disney CEO Bob Iger throughout a separate interview, asking if he was an “ignoramus.” The union chief turned much less vocal in latest weeks, nonetheless, because the union elections approached and he or she mentioned she was visiting her mother and father in South Florida.

Unexpectedly, however in an try to indicate solidarity in the course of the union’s ongoing work stoppage, this election cycle two political factions inside SAG-AFTRA which might be usually at every others’ throats — Unite for Power and Membership First — united behind Drescher. Along with The Nanny star, the 2 teams joined forces to again Fisher and a “Unity Slate” of candidates for the union’s nationwide and Los Angeles Native boards comparable to Sean Astin, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Frances Fisher. The group mentioned it was aiming to deal with lots of the points that SAG-AFTRA has prioritized throughout its ongoing contract negotiations, comparable to rules on A.I. and machine studying, enhancing residuals formulation and instituting extra floor guidelines on self-taped auditions.

They had been pitted towards a slate of independents, led by presidential candidate Maya Gilbert-Dunbar and secretary-treasurer hopeful Peter Antico. Antico and Dunbar have referred to as for mediators to intervene in SAG-AFTRA’s ongoing TV/theatrical contract negotiations and have mentioned they wish to finish the strike additionally by calling on California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The impartial slate, which incorporates former SAG-AFTRA presidential candidate Matthew Modine, can be searching for to make adjustments to the union’s pension and well being plans, SVOD residuals formulation and therapy of background actors, stunt performers, singers and dancers.

Drescher and Fisher can have their work lower out for them as they begin their time period on Friday: The AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA have but to return to the bargaining desk on the union’s TV/theatrical contract because the two sides broke off in mid-July. Within the meantime, SAG-AFTRA is granting some productions that conform to their calls for on the negotiating desk interim agreements, which permit them to maintain shifting ahead amid the work stoppage, a transfer that has been controversial in some corners of the union. Moreover, a possible video video games strike looms on the horizon: The union is holding a strike authorization vote over its Interactive Media Settlement, masking work at corporations together with Activision Blizzard and Epic Video games, that may finish on Sept. 25.