Gabrielle Carteris Seeking Re-Election as SAG-AFTRA President

By Dave McNary

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris will seek re-election as the union’s top national officer and the head of the ticket for the Unite for Strength and United Screen Actors Nationwide factions.

Carteris made the announcement on Thursday, two weeks after actor Matthew Modine said he was running as the lead candidate for Membership First, the self-styled progressive faction of the performers union. Election ballots will be mailed to dues-current members on July 29 and will be tabulated on Aug. 28.

Carteris has been president since 2016, when she was voted in by the national board to replace Ken Howard following his death. Carteris headed the Unite for Strength ticket two years ago, fending off challenges from Membership First’s Esai Morales, and independents Peter Antico and Robert B. Martin, Jr. ’s 80-member national board is the key ruling body for the union, which has about 160,000 members.

Carteris unveiled high-profile endorsements on Thursday from Octavia Spencer, Bryan Cranston, Geena Davis, Alan Alda, James Cromwell, Rita Moreno, J.K. Simmons, Jane Lynch, Alec Baldwin, Rosario Dawson, Clark Gregg, Maria Bello, Noah Wyle and John Cho.

She boasted gains in the recent successor deal for commercials, and in the 2017 deal covering primetime TV and feature films, along with a new interactive contract signed last year with video game companies after a year-long strike.

“While our employers are consolidating and attempting to squeeze our earnings, we have proven that a united front is our best weapon in fighting for fair wages, safety on sets and protection of all our members — especially those who are most vulnerable,” Carteris said. “As SAG-AFTRA President, I’ve seen first-hand the power of our members. With fierce determination we won the Interactive strike, revolutionized the commercials contract, and transformed high budget streaming residuals. We’ve set the stage for our future and demonstrated both the necessity and incredible power of unions.”

During her tenure, Carteris has been active in supporting SAG-AFTRA’s efforts to combat sexual harassment in the wake of misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The union has introduced strict limits on auditions in hotel rooms and private homes since then.

Carteris is best known for her role as Andrea Zuckerman in “Beverly Hills 90210.” She’s part of the upcoming Fox reboot, “BH90210.”