• David White, national executive director of SAG-AFTRA• Russell Hollander, national executive director of the DGA• Lowell Peterson, executive director of the WGA East• Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society • Alfonso Pollard, legislative-political director and director of diversity for the American Federation of Musicians• Lisa Blake, VP Diversity at the Office and Professional Employees International Union.
“Through grants, seed money, and technical support, the National Endowment for the Arts , National Endowment for the Humanities , and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ensure that Americans of all means, geographies, and abilities have access to artistic and educational content,” they said. “The NEA, NEH, and CPB also help bolster local economies and put creative professionals to work on nonprofit productions and performances, including members of our unions.
SAG-AFTRA’s White said: “Our members make a fair living today because of a foundation built over many decades thanks to strong collective bargaining rights,” SAG-AFTRA’s White said.
“While as a labor union we do not control employer hiring, we have harnessed the strength of our membership to push the studios and other employers in film and television to increase their hiring of women and people of color,” he continued. “That work dates back over four decades, when a group of women directors mobilized to address the discriminatory hiring practices of entertainment industry employers.