SAG power shifts

Variety.com, 9.18.08
by Dave McNary

"Unite for Strength gains control of union board"

Dissidents have won control of SAG's national board in a surprise result that heightens the chances of an end to the guild's contract stalemate with the majors.
With Amy Brenneman and Adam Arkin leading the way as top vote-getters, the upstart Unite for Strength faction won six of the 11 Hollywood seats, with the more confrontational Membership First faction losing control for the first time in three years.

Unite for Strength -- which had contended that Membership First has bungled the negotiations -- now has a razor-thin majority on the 71-member board since the coalition's expected to ally with reps in New York and the regional branches.

In the wake of the stunning power shift, the wheels were already turning Thursday evening toward breaking the three-month logjam between SAG and the congloms. Hollywood heavyweights plan to start reaching out immediately to the new elected reps to figure out ways to tweak the congloms' offer enough to close a deal for a new SAG feature-primetime contract.
Full article.

Thanks Peachybc!
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And Defamer's take on it --

9.19.08 "SAG Insurrection Introduces Brave New Levels of Seething Internecine Hatred"

In a savage coup of upstart infidels, the Unite for Strength ticket outlasted incumbent Alan Rosenberg's MembershipFirst slate in Thursday's SAG board election, thus opening a new era of moderation, peace and progress in Hollywood's rancorous labor wars. Or... not. Maybe? more

Thanks Amy!