1Designating May 2014 as "SAG-AFTRA Month" in Pennsylvania and
2recognizing the artistic and economic contributions of SAG-
3AFTRA members' work in the news media and the entertainment
4industry.

5WHEREAS, The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation
6of Television and Radio Artists were each formed in the 1930s
7and merged in 2012 to form SAG-AFTRA; and

8WHEREAS, SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 members who
9work as actors, broadcast journalists, dancers, television and
10radio announcers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers,
11recording artists, singers, voice-over artists and other media
12professionals; and

13WHEREAS, SAG-AFTRA members work in movies, television and
14radio, on the Internet and in other forms of media distribution;
15and

16WHEREAS, SAG-AFTRA works on behalf of its members to secure
17the strongest possible protections for media artists, including
18organizing all work done under its jurisdiction; negotiating

1better wages, working conditions and health and pension benefits
2for its members; protecting and expanding job opportunities of
3members; enforcing member contracts; and protecting members
4against unauthorized use of their work product; and

5WHEREAS, SAG-AFTRA is a member of the American Federation of
6Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations that works
7closely with other unions to seek protection for media artists
8in the United States and abroad; and

9WHEREAS, The SAG-AFTRA Philadelphia Local represents members
10in eastern Pennsylvania and the SAG-AFTRA Ohio-Pittsburgh Local
11represents members in western Pennsylvania; and

12WHEREAS, The presence of a skilled professional community in
13Pennsylvania helps to attract theatrical and commercial artistic
14endeavors to this Commonwealth; and

15WHEREAS, SAG-AFTRA works to create and expand job
16opportunities for its members within this Commonwealth;
17therefore be it

18RESOLVED, That the Senate designate May 2014 as "SAG-AFTRA
19Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it further

20RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the important artistic
21and economic contributions of SAG-AFTRA members' work in the
22news media and the entertainment industry.