UPDATED with L.A. Native outcomes: Fran Drescher has been reelected president of SAG-AFTRA in a landslide. Drescher, successful a second two-year time period in votes counted Friday, handily defeated unbiased candidate Maya Gilbert-Dunbar. Drescher acquired 23,080 votes to Gilbert-Dunbar’s 5,276, with 22.84% of the guild’s 124,477 eligible members casting ballots.
Drescher’s unity slate working mate, Joely Fisher, additionally gained reelection because the guild’s secretary-treasurer, handily defeating unbiased candidate Peter Antico by a vote of 19,777 to eight,361.
“I’m honored to serve my union as president for an additional time period,” Drescher stated in a press release. “These are dynamic occasions and as one member physique, we are going to climate the storms, stand on our ideas and ensure our main contributions to this collaborative artwork kind shall by no means once more be diminished however quite be exalted. I would like all members to be equal in all methods and I’ll proceed to battle towards marginalization and discrimination inside our union, from our employers and the world at massive.
“Our predominant goal as a labor union have to be to ensure everybody has equal alternative to work. Collectively, we are going to watch partisanship fade away as we develop a brand new tradition of respect, endurance and understanding. Taking our time, talking from the guts and making selections have to be primarily based on knowledge and never politics. A lot has been achieved prior to now two years, however I really feel nice optimism that the following two will likely be our biggest 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.”
Fisher stated that “In these difficult occasions, performers do what they’ve all the time accomplished greatest: work collectively in direction of a typical purpose. I’m grateful in your belief in my work on behalf of my union siblings and steadfast in my dedication to you. I need to acknowledge each member who acknowledged this auspicious second and volunteered to serve. Your willingness to run for workplace and contribute is deeply appreciated by your union household. After we’re preventing 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.
“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 — a good contract. President Drescher and I are so thrilled to work alongside all of you as we usher in a brand new age for SAG-AFTRA — the place we’re all revered and sufficiently paid for our contribution to this trade.”
SAG-AFTRA Nationwide Govt Director Duncan Crabtree-Eire stated: “I wish to congratulate all of our leaders elected right this moment. I’m excited to proceed to work with President Drescher and Secretary-Treasurer Fisher. The workers and I are desperate to work with the entire elected leaders nationwide on the various union initiatives and targets that will likely be served by their management.”
Two years in the past, because the trade was rebounding from the Covid pandemic, Drescher was elected president on the high of the ruling Unite for Energy slate, whereas Fisher was elected secretary-treasurer on the opposition celebration’s MembershipFirst ticket. In that election, Drescher defeated Matthew Modine to win the presidency in a squeaker, 16,958 votes to fifteen,371, whereas Fisher simply defeated Drescher’s working mate, Anthony Rapp.
However in an unprecedented present of solidarity, the 2 factions put apart their variations and joined forces in June — with Drescher and Fisher now on the identical crew — to kind a unity slate prematurely of the guild’s strike towards movie and TV productions, which is now in its 57th day.
On the formation of her unity slate, Drescher stated that “This present of solidarity brings tears to my eyes. I’ve been working a nonpartisan administration, reaching throughout the aisle to signify and honor these member leaders who might not have supported me in 2021, however have now pledged to take action in 2023. We stand upon the precipice of a brand new daybreak. And with this present of solidarity, we’ve develop into all of the extra empowered.”
Fisher stated on the time that “We’re witnessing a paradigm shift. Fran has opened the door to unification – this collaboration will lastly deliver that to fruition. This comes at a time when the membership really wants the complete weight of their union preventing for his or her artistic and financial beliefs, not towards one another.”
In different outcomes Friday, Gilbert-Dunbar additionally misplaced her race for the presidency of the guild’s Los Angeles Native, shedding to incumbent Jodi Lengthy by a vote of 6,631 to three,543.
In different L.A. Native races, Sheryl Lee Ralph was elected first vice chairman and David Jolliffe was elected second vice chairman. Dunbar-Gilbert’s husband, Rockmond Dunbar, completed out of the cash in third place.
The husband-and-wife Dunbars additionally misplaced their races to win seats on the nationwide and L.A. Native boards, though Maya gained a seat as a conference delegate.
Within the race for seats on the nationwide board representing Los Angeles, the place almost half the membership lives, Jennifer Beals completed first, adopted by Joely Fisher, Lengthy, Frances Fisher and Joanna Cassidy. Others elected to the nationwide board have been Michelle Hurd, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jolliffe, Jane Austin, A Martinez, Lisa Ann Walter, Shaan Sharma and Elliot Gould.
All in all, it was almost a clear sweep for the Drescher-Fisher unity slate.
