Actuary: No Need for SAG-AFTRA Study

Screen Actors Guild is striking back in a lawsuit designed to put the brakes on the potential SAGAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists merger. On March 5, SAG filed a declaration stating that the former chief actuary for the consulting firm Mercer, which conducted a study on pension and health plans that was done before the failed 2003 merger attempt, believes that information from a new actuarial study wouldn't be beneficial to members. A group of actors opposed to merger, many of whom are former SAG leadership, filed a lawsuit against SAG and its leaders last month demanding a new study. The group questions the assertion by merger proponents that the creation of SAG-AFTRA will increase leverage and not harm benefits."We were put in the position to have to do the lawsuit because we exhausted all other internal remedies we tried to achieve without involving the courts," said Anne-Marie Johnson, a plaintiff in the lawsuit and a SAG board member. (Johnson and several other plaintiffs involved in the current case have previously sued the guild.)However, according to the declaration, a new report conducted now would produce only an overwhelmingly large list of the possibilities for the pension and health trustees to consider when they begin their own merger plans. SAG has filed a counter motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Johnson said she thinks a study would show the merger to have a negative impact on benefits and that members should have all of the information to make a decision. SAG and AFTRA conducted a feasibility review in which seven lawyers with backgrounds in employee benefit-plan labor law concluded that the merger of the health and pension plans is possible and legal. The report includes no details about how such a merger for SAG-AFTRA will be handled. However, it does state, "The plans' trustees have a legal obligation to ensure that no participants' accrued benefits will be less after the merger than it was before the merger." It's not likely the trustees will begin exploring their options of merging plans until after the unions merge. An actuary study is expected to occur at that time.A hearing related to the lawsuit has been set for March 26, and no decision is expected before then. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the member vote to approve the mergerballots were mailed last week and must be returned by March 30will be suspended. "This lawsuit is completely without merit," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, deputy national executive director and general counsel for SAG. "The merger should and will be decided through the democratic process and the votes of our members. Lawsuits like this serve only to waste member dues and guild resources that could be far better spent. The guild fully expects the court to decline the plaintiffs' request for an injunction, allowing the members' voices to decide this issue."When the suit was originally filed last month, SAG released a statement saying, "Any suggestion that the members have not been fully and fairly informed is preposterous."In 2003, an internal memoone whose accuracy was recently cast in doubtrelated to the Mercer report was perceived as having a negative impact on the final outcome of the SAG member ratification vote. Despite unsuccessful attempts to merge in 1998 and 2003, the leadership of SAG and AFTRA say that as the industry changes and is influenced by technology and ever-growing media conglomerates, the needs of the members can be better served by a larger union with more bargaining power. "Competition will be a thing of the past because SAG-AFTRA will be the only game in town," said Mike Hodge, SAG NY division president. "It will give usmore power to negotiate the best pay, residuals, and benefits with more work under union contracts."At least 60 percent of both unions' membership has to vote yes for the referendum to pass. Dual card members have the chance to vote twice, once for SAG and once for AFTRA. With AFTRA traditionally supporting a merger and SAG voting it down both previous times, the idea appears to have gained more traction with SAG's membership this time around. Pro-merger leadership has been voted into office in the last two election cycles, signalingat least in the eyes of those electedthat the membership is behind the idea. By Laura Lee March 7, 2012 Screen Actors Guild is striking back in a lawsuit designed to put the brakes on the potential SAGAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists merger. On March 5, SAG filed a declaration stating that the former chief actuary for the consulting firm Mercer, which conducted a study on pension and health plans that was done before the failed 2003 merger attempt, believes that information from a new actuarial study wouldn't be beneficial to members. A group of actors opposed to merger, many of whom are former SAG leadership, filed a lawsuit against SAG and its leaders last month demanding a new study. The group questions the assertion by merger proponents that the creation of SAG-AFTRA will increase leverage and not harm benefits."We were put in the position to have to do the lawsuit because we exhausted all other internal remedies we tried to achieve without involving the courts," said Anne-Marie Johnson, a plaintiff in the lawsuit and a SAG board member. (Johnson and several other plaintiffs involved in the current case have previously sued the guild.)However, according to the declaration, a new report conducted now would produce only an overwhelmingly large list of the possibilities for the pension and health trustees to consider when they begin their own merger plans. SAG has filed a counter motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Johnson said she thinks a study would show the merger to have a negative impact on benefits and that members should have all of the information to make a decision. SAG and AFTRA conducted a feasibility review in which seven lawyers with backgrounds in employee benefit-plan labor law concluded that the merger of the health and pension plans is possible and legal. The report includes no details about how such a merger for SAG-AFTRA will be handled. However, it does state, "The plans' trustees have a legal obligation to ensure that no participants' accrued benefits will be less after the merger than it was before the merger." It's not likely the trustees will begin exploring their options of merging plans until after the unions merge. An actuary study is expected to occur at that time.A hearing related to the lawsuit has been set for March 26, and no decision is expected before then. If the court rules in favor of the plaintiffs, the member vote to approve the mergerballots were mailed last week and must be returned by March 30will be suspended. "This lawsuit is completely without merit," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, deputy national executive director and general counsel for SAG. "The merger should and will be decided through the democratic process and the votes of our members. Lawsuits like this serve only to waste member dues and guild resources that could be far better spent. The guild fully expects the court to decline the plaintiffs' request for an injunction, allowing the members' voices to decide this issue."When the suit was originally filed last month, SAG released a statement saying, "Any suggestion that the members have not been fully and fairly informed is preposterous."In 2003, an internal memoone whose accuracy was recently cast in doubtrelated to the Mercer report was perceived as having a negative impact on the final outcome of the SAG member ratification vote. Despite unsuccessful attempts to merge in 1998 and 2003, the leadership of SAG and AFTRA say that as the industry changes and is influenced by technology and ever-growing media conglomerates, the needs of the members can be better served by a larger union with more bargaining power. "Competition will be a thing of the past because SAG-AFTRA will be the only game in town," said Mike Hodge, SAG NY division president. "It will give usmore power to negotiate the best pay, residuals, and benefits with more work under union contracts."At least 60 percent of both unions' membership has to vote yes for the referendum to pass. Dual card members have the chance to vote twice, once for SAG and once for AFTRA. With AFTRA traditionally supporting a merger and SAG voting it down both previous times, the idea appears to have gained more traction with SAG's membership this time around. Pro-merger leadership has been voted into office in the last two election cycles, signalingat least in the eyes of those electedthat the membership is behind the idea.

Museum of Moving Image to recognition Local 817 prez

The Museum in the Moving Image will recognition Teamsters Local 817 leader Thomas O'Donnell inside a benefit on Saturday within the Sheraton NY Hotel and Towers, Herbert S. Schlosser, chairman in the museum's board of trustees introduced Thursday. "Just like a founding part of the Museum's Board of Trustees, Tom O'Donnell was instrumental in leading Local 817's important contributions for the revitalization in the Astoria Studio as well as the formation in the Museum," Schlosser mentioned. O'Donnell has offered as prexy in the local since 1961, because he extended the union's membership. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Bruce Willis Set To Star In Five Against A Bullet for Columbia Pictures And Mimran Schur

CULVER CITY, Calif., March 1, 2012 Bruce Willis will star in Five Against A Bullet, the experience thriller being produced by producers Lorenzo DiBonaventura, Jordan Schur, and David Mimran for Columbia Pictures, it had been introduced today by Hannah Minghella, leader of production for Columbia Pictures. Alex Litvak is writing the script which focuses on a Mexican politician who, after his father is wiped out with a drug cartel, employs 5 best security officers from around the globe to safeguard him via a contentious election. Leaving comments around the announcement, Minghella stated, We've been looking forward to this project since obtaining the privileges this past year from Mimran Schur and believe Bruce Willis is the best actor to guide this cast. We anticipate moving Five Against A Bullet into production rapidly.” Mike Dickerman and Lauren Abrahams are managing the work for the studio. Erik Howsam, who first introduced the project into Columbia Pictures, will oversee with respect to DiBonaventura Pictures Bruce Willis has shown incredible flexibility with roles such diverse films as Pulp Fiction, Nobodys Fool, 12 Apes, In Country, The Sixth Sense, and the signature role as Detective John McClane within the Die Hard series. Willis was last observed in the Golden Globe nominated feature film Red-colored opposite Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich and that he will next be observed in Wes Andersons Moonrise Kingdom and Rian Johnsons sci-fi thriller Looper in addition to this summer season G.I. Joe: Retaliation & Expendables 2. Willis will quickly begin production on the Good Day To Die Hard (the 5th installment within the popular Die Hard franchise). Lorenzo Di Bonaventura labored at Warner Bros. Pictures from 1989 to 2003, rising with the ranks from the legendary studio to guide their production division and oversee their film slate. While leader of production, he was involved with over 130 movies, including Falling Lower, A Period to Kill, the Matrix series, Three Nobleman, Oceans Eleven, the very first three Harry Potter movies, and Training Day. Since developing his production company in 2003, the organization has created 14 pictures, such as the box-office hits Transformers, Transformers: Revenge from the Fallen, Transformers: Dark from the Moon, GI Joe: An Upswing of Cobra, Salt, and Red-colored. His newest film is Guy on the Ledge. Mimran Schur Pictures was co-founded by Jordan Schur and David Mimran at the begining of 2009. The organization’s first project was Stone, a mental thriller directed by John Curran and starring Robert P Niro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich. They also have created Henry’s Crime, directed by Malcolm Venville and starring Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga and James Caan, and Warrior, starring Tom Sturdy, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison and Nick Nolte, who received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the alcoholic former champion.