Actors union is in the spotlight

BURBANK — Screen Actors Guild leaders have urged their members to vote against approving a contract that their sister union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, made last month with Hollywood studios.

“I plan on voting no whenever the vote happens,” said actor Perry Anzilotti, who has appeared in television programs such as “ER,” and is a guild member.

The AFTRA contract broke the solidarity as joint unions and strong-armed SAG members into negotiating no matter what the terms, he said.

AFTRA represents television and radio artists as well as anything that is shot digitally, which can often include film actors. SAG represents film actors.

“That’s where the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has gotten its real momentum lately . . . in the past, the Screen Actors Guild was the only union that represented film actors,” Anzilotti said. “Now, since the federation includes any digital material such as film that is recorded digitally . . . they have a viable position in negotiations.”

AFTRA’s minimum contract requirements in areas such as new media are far less than what SAG members are asking for.

“As joint unions for representing actors we are not asking for the same thing,” Anzilotti said.

“What is agreed to by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are terms less favorable to us.”