Latest in AFTRA

Shelby Scott, the former president of AFTRA who helped spearhead the 2012 merger of SAG and AFTRA, has died. She was 86. Scott, a longtime television news broadcaster, served as AFTRA's national president from 1993-2001. She was a member of the "Group for One Union" of SAG and AFTRA leaders who spearheaded the 2012…

Bob Kaliban, a veteran voice actor and former president of the New York branch of the Screen Actors Guild, died December 12. He was 87. Kaliban’s voice-over career spanned over 50 years and thousands of commercials, but he perhaps was best known for his long-running role as the "Ty-D-Bol Man," the company's nautically…

Reed Farrell, who was president of AFTRA from 1989-93, has died. He was 89. "Reed was a committed unionist with a passion for union service and the betterment of his fellow members," said SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris. "Our gratitude goes out to him for his many years of dedication to our union." Farrell, who…

Trial has been set for May 28 for two men accused of stealing more than $3.4 million from the AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds. Rick Rubano, the benefit plan's former co-head of information technology, was indicted nearly two years ago for receiving kickbacks from Shivanand Maharaj and other unnamed co-conspirators…

Donald Trump still has money rolling in from his time in show business. While cable news discusses how his latest financial disclosure pertains to the Stormy Daniels case, the document also reveals that he received a SAG pension last year totaling $64,840 and an AFTRA pension in the amount of $6,543. The president…

Hollywood's unions and their pension and health plans have filed court papers to protect their members' residuals and benefits in the Weinstein Company's ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. It's a common move when companies declare bankruptcy so that current and future obligations to the union's members will be paid. SAG-A…

The indictments of two men arrested in January for allegedly stealing more than $3.4 million from the AFTRA Health & Retirement Funds has been set for March 23 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Rick Rubano, the benefit plan's former co-head of information technology, is accused of receiving kickbacks from Shivanand…

Former AFTRA executive Rebecca Rhine has been named the new national executive director of the International Cinematographers Guild — the first woman to hold the union's top job. She will succeed Bruce Doering, who has held the post for the past 30 years, when he retires on December 31. Rhine begins her new job on…

With a wary eye on California's pending tax incentives and the jobs it promises to drain from Canada, negotiations for a new set of contracts covering actors, directors and crewmembers working in British Columbia will get underway November 3. During the last set of contract talks three years ago, the unions in BC…

As negotiators work to beat the midnight deadline for a new SAG-AFTRA film and TV contract, the union has taken the first major step toward merging its two separate health care plans. Effective tomorrow, actors for the first time can combine their earnings under SAG and AFTRA's separate film and TV contracts in order…

John C. Hall Jr., a former national executive secretary of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, died November 10. In a statement announcing Hall’s death on its website today, SAG-AFTRA remembered Hall as someone who “was deeply dedicated to unionism and and selflessly gave of his time and energy to…

SAG-AFTRA merger opponents who lost their attempt to enjoin the two unions combining but continued with their lawsuit are dropping it. Below is the letter they wrote to SAG counsel explaining why they’ve agreed to dismiss their case. The stipulation will be filed today or tomorrow. This follows SAG-AFTRA threatening…