Sessions November 2010

November 2010

The Subject Was Audiobooks

Veteran audiobook narrator Richard Ferrone shared great insider strate-gies to a packed house of aspiring readers Oct 25th in Philadelphia The workshop free to AFTRA members was rich in very specific tips

for breaking into the business Ferrone a warm and engaging performer is also a terrific coach He picked ten audience members at random to read selected pieces and then critiqued and assisted each

I was fortunate to have been one and the experience was transforming I started out sounding like a traffic reporter and wound up sounding more like a character in a novel

As he encouraged and made suggestions to each reader the audience got a real feel for how Ferrone creates his award winning narrations In addition AFTRArsquos NY Assistant Executive Ralph Braun explained that a decades old broadcast formula for the spoken word has been used for performer compensation but now AFTRA has secured updated contracts with several audiobook publishers Executive Director Stephen Leshinski was on hand extending thanks to Shelly Figures and Lynn Koenigsberg for orchestrating a great event

Pat Winters does traffic reports for Metronetworks Philadelphia and aspires to narrate audiobooks

by Pat Winters

Pat Winters gets instruction in audiobook narration from Richard Ferrone (Photos by Cyndy Drue)

On November 10 2010 AFTRA Philadelphia

Local President Catherine Brown was nominated to the Board of Trustees of the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO

John Meyerson was nominated Chairman of the Board of Trustees The election will be held on December 8th

(L) Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding AFTRA Philadelphia Local President Catherine Brown and (R) UFCW Local 1776 Political and Legislative Director John Meyerson

AFTRA Philadelphia President Nominated to AFL-CIO Trustee Board

Local Freelance VP Chuck Varesko (L) Richard Ferrone NY Assistant Executive Ralph Braun (R)

Richard Ferrone coaching Alexis Franklin

Ferrone checks audience reaction while Gail Lewis reads a selection

Marcia Saunders emotes

2

of the PhiladelphiaAmerican Federation of Television amp Radio Artists

2157320507philadelphiaaftracom

wwwaftraphiladelphiacom

Cast amp CrewShelley FiguresmdashEditor

Contributing EditorsStephen Leshinski

LayoutmdashChuck Varesko

StaffStephen LeshinskiExecutive Director

Shelley FiguresAssociate Executive Director

Lynn KoenigsbergmdashFreelance ContractsSignatory Administrator

Michele DooleymdashBenefits ampMembership Administrator

AFTRA LocalBoard of Directors

Catherine BrownmdashPresidentChuck Vareskomdash1st Vice President Dick Sheeranmdash2nd Vice PresidentCyndy Drue mdashSecretaryEd FischermdashTreasurerRob Charry Sam Clover John De Domenico Paul Kurtz Sylvia Kauders Tom McNutt Susan Moses MJ Myers Bill Shusta Christy Springfield

National Board MembersSusan Moses Bill Shusta

bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull

AFTRA PHILADELPHIA230 South Broad St Suite 500Philadelphia PA 19102-41212157320507

Official PublicationSESSIONS

Read SESSIONS online athttpwwwaftraphiladelphia

comsessionsThe Online Talent Guide is at

httpwwwaftraphiladelphiacomNational AFTRA is athttpwwwaftracom

PRESIDENTrsquoS MESSAGE

Itrsquos my honor to serve AFTRA members As another year winds down Irsquom reflecting on the

many rewarding associations experiences and espe-cially the lasting friendships that have enriched my life through my service with AFTRA

In November I was honored to be asked to join the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO as a Trustee Itrsquos an important recognition of AFTRArsquos place in the Philadelphia organized labor community Irsquoll be counting on AFTRA Philadelphia Local members to reach out about how to enhance our local participation

Along with all of the other holiday-time invitations you will receive let me add another Speak up speak out and join in the AFTRA conversations and activities you see in this newsletter or hear about at your workplace Itrsquos all about you Your AFTRA membership is an interactive experience As a good labor friend always says our union ldquois probably the one organization in your life that gives you a little bit of power over how the world is going to shapedrdquo All you need to do is RSVP

Enjoy Your HolidaysCatherine

Join your fellow members for hors doeuvres

cash bar and entertainment at the AFTRA Holiday Party

Please RSVP to 2157320507 or lkoenigsaftracom by December 3rd Only paid-up AFTRA members are invited

AFTRA PHILADELPHIA HOLIDAY PARTY

Wednesday December 15 2010400 pm mdash 700 pm

Paddy Whacks Pub150 South Street (2nd amp South) Philadelphia Pa

Validated Parking ($5 - $7) at Park America amp EZ Park 3rd amp Lombard

Notes From The Director By Stephen Leshinski

3

On election day voters in many states including here in Pennsylvania went to the polls to vote to change their political leaders on both a state and national level The

message was clear people wanted change For AFTRA although we are non-partisan and are prohibited from making endorse-ments a number of our issues are affected by who is in Harrisburg and Washington DC

Our Broadcast Freemarket Act for example would ban ldquonon-competerdquo provisions in personal service contracts which would impact almost all of our ldquoon-airrdquo members This bill as written was opposed by the Chair of the Broadcast and Industry Com-mittee Senator John Gordner (R) and as we plan to try again in 2011 wersquoll need to think about a different strategy to convince the elected officials who will be taking over come January Nation-ally AFTRA deals with issues such as the Performance Rights Act Net Neutrality Copyright enforcement and a host of other issues and these too will need to be re-evaluated with an eye towards the new leadership in Washington DC

For good or for bad the 2010 elections show that when people get organized they have the ultimate power to make change and bring about a new election if they desire to do so

Change may also be coming to AFTRA Over the summer we brought together members of Actors Equity and the Screen Actors Guild to look for joint ventures in our market that would strength-

en the leverage for stage ra-dio television screen and new media performers In todayrsquos world the lines are increasingly being blurred between the vari-ous broadcast and entertainment unions and as always there are power in numbers We celebrat-ed our community at the Phila-delphia Labor Day Parade with our biggest membership turnout ever and look forward to having these efforts recognized at City Council before the end of the year

Working together across the unions is happening on a national level as well The recent successful settlement of national joint bargaining between AFTRA and SAG and the AMPTP sets the stage for more intensive discussions of a new union that would combine AFTRA and SAG members who could then speak with one voice in this new media environment something that could happen as soon as next year

Here at AFTRA wersquore always asking ourselves what do we need to do to give ourselves the maximum possible leverage with the companies and producers that we deal with every day The answer we need to change Itrsquos coming

Letter to The EditorA thought on the AFTRA pension Not Too Shabby

Actually itrsquos quite good I know when I was younger re-tirement seemed so far off that I couldnrsquot even imagine it Suddenly here I am And while my retirement came

in the midst of The Great Recession for me itrsquos an academic concern mdash another news story On the first of every month that AFTRA check is direct-deposited into my account And while of course I have other savings and Social Security my finan-cial adviser has suggested that the AFTRA pension check is the equivalent of retirement savings somewhere north of a million-and-a-half dollars As I said ldquoNot To ShabbyrdquoMike Strugg

Have something to share complain about or praise Send a Letter to The Editor to Sessions US Mail to Sessions co AFTRA 230 South Broad Street Suite 500 Philadelphia PA 19102-4121 or send it to us in an email to sessionsaftraphiladelphiacom

Change

Members of AFTRA SAG and Equity marched in The Labor Day Parade and Family Celebration on September 6 2010 The march started at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Union Hall and ended in the celebration at The Great Plaza at Penns Landing

Broadcast Steering CommitteeBy Bill Shusta

The AFTRA Broadcast Steering Committee is nearly 20 years old Itrsquos designed to be the voice of broadcast mem-bers on not only national issues but also on the local issues

confronting us A restructuring of how the committee does busi-ness is now under consideration with more expected on that in the near future

One of the problems we face is that most broadcast contracts are negotiated locally and concern local issues while our employ-ers may be driven by national issues We have trouble at times saying exactly what it is we want The BSC should be more than a clearing house for discussion of our prob-lems and focus more on how we achieve what we want concerning broadcast issues

The Assistant National Executive Director for News and Broadcasting Mary Cavallaro feels that mem-ber communication and education about whatrsquos hap-pening elsewhere is how we can work with members to gain a consensus on our is-sues and how to achieve our goals Consensus may not be possible around certain is-sues such as one man bands where members are so divided None-theless we must energize members at local stations

Therersquos also the issue of leverage when it comes to contract negotiations Cavallaro feels we must do more in the area of member solidarity when in that process We must get them more involved so that therersquos a comfort in numbers In addition we must fight in more creative ways against the conglomerates which are our employers There two examples in another article in this issue

On another front efforts to gain legislative approval of bills to ban non-compete clauses in broadcast contracts in Michigan and Pennsylvania will need another effort next year On the national level Itrsquos hoped the Senate will act during the lame duck session

on shield legislation for journalists The Free Flow of Information Act has passed the House as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee It still faces opposition espe-cially from Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona and Jeff Sessions of Alabama

There was a lengthy discussion on the BSC view concerning attacks on AFTRA jurisdiction and how it relates to those One Man Bands Because of the confidential nature of the discussion

the only thing I can say here is that AFTRA jurisdiction remains paramount

AFTRA acts in many ar-eas to protect its members and that includes workplace safety The New York local responded quickly to prob-lem with leaking carbon monoxide in WNYW-TV news trucks Several people were sickened Fox is in the process of modifying all 9 of its trucks AFTRA New York continues to monitor the situation Also the New York local was quick to no-tify locals across the country about the problem

AFTRArsquos Quality Journalism Campaign continues to grow Itrsquos goal is to provide journalists with information in issues involving AFTRA and pertaining to journalists Itrsquos hoped this will evolve into a larger campaign on journalism issues so AFTRA will be viewed as an organization helping journalists It already involves the ACCESSMEDIAorg website which had its baptism of fire last summer during the gulf oil spill It was launched early to help journalists who were being denied access to information and affected sites AFTRA successfully helped shine a light on the problems The campaign strives to create a strong public image for quality journalism and show what local news does provide for the community The site seeks stories from journalists who may be having problems doing their jobs in the field

Assistant National Executive Director for News and Broadcasting Mary Caval-laro and National Director of Broadcasting Phil Denniston discussing possible Broadcast Steering Committee restructuring

Thatrsquos Entertainment Thatrsquos Philadelphia

This year members from AFTRA SAG and AEA developed a tri-union campaign that will coordinate efforts to increase work opportunities for union members in all three union jurisdictions To encourage the use of union performers in Philadelphia we have asked that the Philadelphia City Council support our resolution to encourage the use of union performers in Philadelphia

A song praising union talent sung to the tune of Thatrsquos Entertainment will be performed during the December 9th City Council session and we are looking for members to come and support the effort

The Philadelphia City Council Resolution presentation and talent performance will call on private and public enterprises who employ screen stage television radio sound recording and new media employees to endeavor wherever possible to meet with and enter into agreements with AFTRA AEA SAG and other unions and organizations that represent artists in Philadelphia for the purpose of creat-ing and maintaining a professional community within Philadelphia for the benefit of its citizenry Please RSVP to philadelphiaaftracom

Broadcast Beat mdash News from our shop stewards

5

Angelo Cataldi made a special ap-pearance on WIPrsquos Eagles pre-game show October 3rd in ldquohonorrdquo

of Donovan McNabbrsquos return to the Linc as a Redskin He then led a march and ldquoreenactmentrdquo of Donovanrsquos welcome to Philadelphia

Preliminary preparations are already underway for Wing Bowl 19 Friday February th at the Wells Fargo Center Reports are that negotiations are taking place to bring in legendary hot dog eating champ Kobayashi who was last seen in handcuffs after he caused a disturbance at Coney Islandrsquos famed hot dot eating contest which he wasnrsquot even entered in

In preparing for the next generation of WIP Clark Hughes son of the morning showrsquos Rhea Hughes and Anthony Garganorsquos son Anthony (or Little AntLittle Cuz) are taking a class togeth-er mdash gym (introductory to broadcasting in 2015 is a possibility) Not one to pass up such juicy homegrown material Joe Conklin has been producing comedy bits for the WIP morning show based on the adventures of the one year olds in gym class Available on WIPrsquos website or JoeConklincom or just call Joe and he might do it over the phone for you

Congratulations to Mike Viso who was promoted to Execu-tive Producer of the Dom Giordano Show Ian Cohen and Joe Gaines closed out another remarkable year broadcast-

ing the Phillies when Ryan Howard watched the season end late one Saturday night We welcome in three new producers Eric Strain Sandro Anello and Danielle Alio and congratulations to Eytan Shander for adding updates and hosting at WIP to the role he already plays at WPHT

A federal mediator is helping AF-TRA and CBS 3 break the year-long deadlock in contract talks At

deadline CBS is offering no pay raise the first year of the contract and two percent in years two and three CBS is also proposing that cameras could be assigned to any off-air AFTRAns but would be voluntary for on-air staffers Web producers would be included in the contract But CBS also wants to roll producer fees into the base salaries and AFTRA wants CBS to increase contributions in AFTRA membersrsquo pension plans Other issues would come off the table

More additions to the Eyewitness News team Meteorologist Kate Bilo is forecasting the weather on Eyewitness News This Morning The Phoenixville native comes to us from AccuWeather in State College Pa where she was a meteorologist since 200

WIP By Rob Charry

WPHTBy Clinton Petty

Oren Liebermann joins CBS 3 as a general assignment report-er coming to Philly from WAVY-TV Portsmouth-Norfolk VA

More cross-promotion with sister station 610 WIP as former Eagles linebacker Ike Reese comes aboard to anchor weekend sports

Congratulations to Eyewitness News Meteorologist Carol Er-ickson and the now retired Dick Sheeran who are being inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame

And CBS 3 left the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards with 22 statues including one for station excellence

Congratulations to WMMROn September 30 2010 The National Association of

Broadcasters awarded a Marconi to WMMR as Rock Station of The Year

NBC10By Catherine Brown

The multi-platform AFTRA staff continues to expand in the NBC10 Content Center (newsroom)

AFTRA is represented on the air and off the air on broadcast Internet and digi-tal platforms October 25th marked the official launch of NBC Philadelphia Non-Stop the 27 programming on the digital channel Check out the programs that cover all kinds of diverse interests on Comcast 248 Verizon 460 or Over-the air (with a set-top box) on 102

We recently welcomed these new colleagues to our ranks Da-vid Hall Marisa Brahney Elizabeth Laoye Barry N Dima Lauren DiSanto and David Chang

Shop Stewards mdash Let Local members know whatrsquos happening at your shop Email your reports to sessionsaftraphiladelphiacom

CBS 3 NEWSBy Neil Rattigan How does healthcare

reform affect your AFTRA health coverage

Donrsquot stay in the dark Changes are taking effect December 1 2010 Find out how they affect you online at httpwwwaftrahrcomor call Participant Services at (800) 562-4690

Are You In The Talent GuideThe Online Talent Guide brings local AFTRA talent directly to the people who book talent at the speed of the Internet The

Guide uses a database to store your information headshot contact info and audiovideo demos so the talent buyer doesnrsquot need to waste any of their time looking through file cabinets or searching for demo tapes on a dusty shelf A few clicks of the mouse is all it takes to review the range of local talent that fits the producerrsquos needs

And AFTRA Philadelphia is promoting The Guide to signator producers throughout the Delaware Valley so talent buyers can see the full range of talent available in our union right here Donrsquot be left out of the easiest free way to promote your tal-ent Sign up for the Online Talent Guide todayHow do I sign up

Go to httpwwwaftraphiladelphiacom and click the ldquoSign Uprdquo button It will open a page where you enter your informa-tion in a secure form Hit the ldquoSubmitrdquo button at the bottom of the form page and yoursquoll be taken to a page where you can upload your headshot and any demos What does my listing look like

Take a look at the AFTRA members pages in The Talent GuideWhat if Irsquom not that good with a computerIf you donrsquot know a byte from a serial port you may call the AFTRA office request a sign up form and mail it with your head-

shot resume and demo to AFTRA 230 South Broad Street Suite 500 Philadelphia PA 19102 or stop in and drop them off Wersquoll scan the photos and digitize the audio or video demos for you againmdashfor free

Scholarships help working familiesrsquo

dreams come true

Find details and applications at

UnionPlusorgScholarships

Whether yoursquore going back to

school looking for specialized training or trying to educate your kids Union Plus can help you cut tuition costs at colleges grad schools and advanced technical programs with

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EdMail

Cut Your Health Care CostsNow Union Plus helps working families enjoy bigger discounts more services and lower out-of-pocket expenses

New and Expanded Health Benefi ts for Union Members

Hospital Care Grants Medical Bill Negotiations ConsumerReportsHealthorg Subscription Discounts Health Club Savings Eldercare Services

Plus Health Savings Discount Programs Prescription Drug Savings Vision and Hearing Savings Dental Savings Doctor and Hospital Savings Foot and Ankle Care Savings Medical amp Diabetic Supplies Savings

UnionPlusorgHealth For details about these programs and other benefi ts visit

These plans are not insurance This is not a Medicare prescription drug plan

Web

6

Broadcasters in Philadelphia know how difficult contract negotiations can be at time At its last meeting in Los Angeles members of the AFTRA

Broadcast Steering Committee received a first hand re-port on difficulties involved in whatrsquos termed organiz-ing to bargain and just how important member participation is to that process In one case the negotiations continue while in the other a con-tract has been approved

The last AFTRA con-tract at Buffalorsquos WIVB-TV a Lin Television Corporation station ex-pired on September 30th 2008 The company de-clared an impasse at the end of November 2009 The first post impasse bargaining session was at the end of September 2010 That followed a four month long campaign developed by the affected local members and AFTRArsquos organizing department

The campaign involved engaging unit members and assessing the issues of importance to them Members signed a petition which was mailed to the Lin Board of Directors Company shareholders also were targeted There was a button campaign The AFL-CIO sent letters letting it be known the organization would contact political allies re the problem Solidarity letters from other stations were sent to Lin corporate headquarters as were letters of support from Western New York com-munities Most importantly there was a rally in front of the station to show the importance of journalism to the residents of Buffalo

There was another bargaining session in October More are expected There appears to be some progress

National Public Radio has its headquarters in Wash-ington DC with some four hundred active AFTRA members employed by NPR While the situation in Buffalo shows the importance of outside help the NPR negotiations were highlighted by strong unit support Those contract talks lasted three and a half months The network hired an outside independent law firm to head its team Also it appeared that any management person with a title was part of that team

AFTRA tactics involved a large active fifteen mem-ber bargaining unit with other members attending the talks and this included top NPR talent A Twitter ac-count was begun so the bargaining team could tweet members with immediate talk updates A Facebook page

sent updates nationwide A website was created so members could continue their NPR programs had a strike been neces-sary which was not the case In the building AFTRA members wore black tee shirts with the slogan ldquoWe Are NPRrdquo Black balloons were tied to their workplace chairs There was a button cam-paign here as well Best of all several hundred

members marched solemnly through every floor the NPR building walking past management meetings in progress all in a show of union support It resulted in a tentative contract which has since been approved on a 28 to 9 vote

In both instances members became involved with the assistance of national staff to help get the leverage needed to either move the talks forward as in Buffalo or achieve a settlement as at National Public Radio At times itrsquos important for our Philadelphia local members to realize how hard national and local staff work with members to achieve the contracts they really deserve The lesson for us to learn from these two instances is that member involvement is crucial to any successful AFTRA effort

Members Make The Difference By Bill Shusta

Pittsburgh local Executive Director John Haer National staffers Rebecca Reed and Jennifer Peat Buffalo National Board member and Chair of the Council of Presidents Rick Pfeiffer

National staffer Amy Masciola Washington-Baltimore local Executive Director Pat OrsquoDonnell and National Public Radio personality Mike Shuster

7

2

of the PhiladelphiaAmerican Federation of Television amp Radio Artists

2157320507philadelphiaaftracom

wwwaftraphiladelphiacom

Cast amp CrewShelley FiguresmdashEditor

Contributing EditorsStephen Leshinski

LayoutmdashChuck Varesko

StaffStephen LeshinskiExecutive Director

Shelley FiguresAssociate Executive Director

Lynn KoenigsbergmdashFreelance ContractsSignatory Administrator

Michele DooleymdashBenefits ampMembership Administrator

AFTRA LocalBoard of Directors

Catherine BrownmdashPresidentChuck Vareskomdash1st Vice President Dick Sheeranmdash2nd Vice PresidentCyndy Drue mdashSecretaryEd FischermdashTreasurerRob Charry Sam Clover John De Domenico Paul Kurtz Sylvia Kauders Tom McNutt Susan Moses MJ Myers Bill Shusta Christy Springfield

National Board MembersSusan Moses Bill Shusta

bullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbullbull

AFTRA PHILADELPHIA230 South Broad St Suite 500Philadelphia PA 19102-41212157320507

Official PublicationSESSIONS

Read SESSIONS online athttpwwwaftraphiladelphia

comsessionsThe Online Talent Guide is at

httpwwwaftraphiladelphiacomNational AFTRA is athttpwwwaftracom

PRESIDENTrsquoS MESSAGE

Itrsquos my honor to serve AFTRA members As another year winds down Irsquom reflecting on the

many rewarding associations experiences and espe-cially the lasting friendships that have enriched my life through my service with AFTRA

In November I was honored to be asked to join the Executive Board of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO as a Trustee Itrsquos an important recognition of AFTRArsquos place in the Philadelphia organized labor community Irsquoll be counting on AFTRA Philadelphia Local members to reach out about how to enhance our local participation

Along with all of the other holiday-time invitations you will receive let me add another Speak up speak out and join in the AFTRA conversations and activities you see in this newsletter or hear about at your workplace Itrsquos all about you Your AFTRA membership is an interactive experience As a good labor friend always says our union ldquois probably the one organization in your life that gives you a little bit of power over how the world is going to shapedrdquo All you need to do is RSVP

Enjoy Your HolidaysCatherine

Join your fellow members for hors doeuvres

cash bar and entertainment at the AFTRA Holiday Party

Please RSVP to 2157320507 or lkoenigsaftracom by December 3rd Only paid-up AFTRA members are invited

AFTRA PHILADELPHIA HOLIDAY PARTY

Wednesday December 15 2010400 pm mdash 700 pm

Paddy Whacks Pub150 South Street (2nd amp South) Philadelphia Pa

Validated Parking ($5 - $7) at Park America amp EZ Park 3rd amp Lombard


3













Change




















5










WIP By Rob Charry























dreams come true





Scholarships

EdMail







Web

6














7


3













Change




















5










WIP By Rob Charry























dreams come true





Scholarships

EdMail







Web

6














7



















5










WIP By Rob Charry























dreams come true





Scholarships

EdMail







Web

6














7








dreams come true





Scholarships

EdMail







Web

6














7














7

Sessions November 2010

Documents

Transcript of Sessions November 2010