Protest at SAG Awards This Sunday Against Industry's Covid Vaccination Mandate

    LOS ANGELES, CA, February 24, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- SAG-AFTRA and other entertainment Union Members from across the country opposed to the film and TV industry's vaccination mandate say they will stage a protest in SOLIDARITY this coming Sunday November 26th. Protesters are said to gather peacefully outside the Sag Awards Show in Los Angeles at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 1:00pm sharp.

Nobody knows for sure who will speak out at the Award Show or at the Protest. Up to now many of the famous as well as the non-famous who oppose the mandates have remained silent on the issue in fear of repercussion or of being cancelled. In the recent months there have been Hollywood Celebrities who have had the guts to risk their careers to speak out for those who are being discriminated against. (refer to the list at the end of this article)

"It would be nice to have More Famous Celebrities Speaking Out because they have influence and I believe they also have a moral responsibility to the hurting union members." Says Carlos Guerrero adding that "Media coverage is warranted".

Carlos Guerrero, a Miami-based actor who will be Spreading word of the protest, has created a videos series "Discriminated Sag-Aftra Members" in which SAG-AFTRA members say they've been discriminated against and their right by law to accommodations for religious or medical exemption have been ignored by Sag-Aftra's leaders who have been notified of these illegal actions and have done nothing to protect their members who joined particularly for those very protections. The video series with almost half a million views shows the hypocrisy of an industry that wants to force workers to abide by regulations and mandates that the leaders themselves do not abide.

New York Union Members in SOLIDARITY will also peacefully protest the mandates at: 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY. 6pm

Heather Berman Sag-Aftra Member since 1990, Actors Equity member since 1987 & former Rockette - AGVA, has been working to end medical mandates in NYC by producing protest rallies in support of her professional colleagues for nearly 3 years. "I Implore my colleagues & allies to show up to the LA broadcast or NYC viewing party to protest the Sag Awards!" Says Berman who also warns "The Return to Work Agreement medical mandates are injuring and killing our colleagues." Referring to the potential severe adverse reactions of the covid injections.

The on-going "Return To Work" agreement was said to be designed to bring Film and TV Industry Workers back to work in a safe manner. For well over a year thousands of members in the industry have been fighting against the Vaccine Mandates implemented on the RTW because the policy does not allow them to work on productions that require a "Fully Vaccinated" Cast and Crew. The NED said the productions requiring these vaccine mandates amount to 25%. Yet, on Sag-Aftra's own webpage there is a list stating that of the approximate 1,000 Sag-Aftra Productions only 40 have Rescinded and the others have a Mandatory Vaccination Policy Implemented. That would be approximately 96% of Sag-Aftra's current productions have Mandatory Vax Policy.

Last year, on April 28, 2022, A Protest was held in front of the Sag-Aftra Headquarters in Los Angeles where hundreds of members showed up to demand an end to the Mandates. Many Entertainment Union Industry Members spoke at this Rally.

One of the speaker's was Golden Globe Award winner and Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland who said "The vaccine Almost killed me" at the rally, and then reiterated to actor Carlos Guerrero who recorded her testimony after Sally asked him to walk her to her car. Guerrero says "Sally was frail and walked slowly as she was still recovering from her injuries. I felt an urgency to get back to the Rally, but this gave us an opportunity to talk. She told me she watched my Video Series and it was inspiring. She said to me that she got the covid shot in order to be allowed to work on a movie with Sally Fields, Lilly Tomlin, and Jane Fonda called "80 For Brady". Ironically, Sally Fields will be awarded the very well deserved "Lifetime Achievement Sag Award" this Sunday.
Sally Kirkland's Testimony

Guerrero says "How could this happen? Sally Kirkland sat on the Sag-Aftra National Board for years. The Union has turned its back on all members who have not or could not take the Vax."

Hollywood Stunt Legend Debbie Evans (National Board Member standing for members freedom of choice. 7 time Taurus World Stunt Award Winner and stuntwoman for 45 years and counting. Over 400 Movie, TV and Commercial Credits.

Chuck Slavin, a relentless force leading the exhausting effort behind the movement to end these discriminatory mandates. Slavin faces extremely intense situations behind the scenes as he sacrifices an enormous amount of his time to make things happen. Slavin is credited with connecting many of the people who are currently in this fight, including Hollywood stars, National and local Sag-Aftra Board Members and other discriminated members.

"All those years we paid our dues and our insurance just to be kicked to curb when we needed support the most," said stuntwoman and actress Cha Cha Sandoval-McMahon, the organizer of the protest. "When I see the androgynous statue that symbolizes our union standing proud, I feel like it is flipping us the finger."

"Approximately 80 National Board Members have been deciding the fate of 160,000 active Sag-Aftra members who follow the commands of the NED. This is not right!" Says Guerrero who believes strongly that the majority of the members really disapprove of the mandates as well as disapprove of Sag-Aftra's Ned's performance as demonstrated by the comments on this video of Sag-Aftra's own post on IG.

Pete Antico, a former SAG-AFTRA presidential candidate and co-chair of the union's Stunt and Safety Committee says "The vaccination mandate has kept many members from working, feeding their families and qualifying for health benefits," and added "With the whole country being released of all vaccination mandates, it is unscientific and discriminatory that SAG-AFTRA wouldn't follow suit."

CONTACTS:
Carlos Guerrero - 
Miami, FL
(786) 488-2418
Chuck Slavin - 
Boston, MA 
(781) 789-3145

SAG-AFTRA Members Against Vax Mandates is a collaboration of many Industry Union Members demanding equal rights to work for all union members without discrimination for vax status.

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