August 17, 2005
August 17, 2005
The Honorable George E. Pataki
Governor
State of New York
Executive Chamber, State Capitol Building
Albany, New York 12224
RE: A.8381-A (Gianaris)/S.5602 (Fuschillo): OPPOSE
Dear Governor Pataki,
We are writing you on behalf of the 2,097 members of the Directors Guild of America, the 8,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, West and the 4,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, East who reside in New York State. We want to express our opposition to A.8381-A/S.5602, legislation which amends the State of New York Business Law with respect to the regulation of theatrical agencies. These bills exclude “personal managers” from the definition of a “theatrical employment agency”, thus permitting them to act as unlicensed, unbonded, and unsupervised talent agents.
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have written to you expressing their concerns about the impact this change in the law will have on performers of all kinds. We wholeheartedly concur with the issues and problems they raise in those letters. The impact on our membership would be the same. Directors and writers also depend on representation from licensed talent agents, whose job it is to seek and negotiate employment on their behalf. Business managers will now be allowed to play that role, but without any of the oversight and supervision that is in place to protect film artists from any “abuse of power” by those who seek to economically benefit from “representing them.” We believe this bill is not good for our industry or those who work in it.
Your advocacy on behalf of our industry has been visible and strong. In particular, your support for the recently enacted tax incentives to encourage film and television production has revitalized the industry within New York State. We thank you for that. However, the present legislation would constitute a major step backwards for our industry.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Dan Petrie, Jr.
President, Writers Guild of America, West
Michael Apted
President, Directors Guild of America
Warren Leight
President, Writers Guild of America, East