Hawai'i might lose actors' union office
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
The Screen Actors Guild, the union for actors, is restructuring branch offices in a reorganization move that could eliminate the office and support staff for the union in Hawai'i.
Advertiser library photo • Feb. 16, 2000
SAG's plan would eliminate the guild district offices in Honolulu and cities such as Boston, Atlanta, Orlando, Detroit, Austin, Denver, Phoenix and Seattle.
Brenda Ching may lose her office in the SAG reorganization plans.
Brenda Ching, who has been Hawai'i regional director, will become district director. The 600 to 650 members in Hawai'i will be linked with services in the San Francisco SAG offices. And the SAG office here may be eliminated in a cost-cutting measure.
"We're losing staff," Ching said of her two aides. "I guess I'll be both chief and Indian."
Ching is awaiting a final decision from national headquarters on whether she would remain in an office or become a virtual branch, servicing clients through telephone. "If we don't get an office, we'll have to figure out a way how we can better service our members," she said.
The move to trim and scale back operations, designating "hubs" for area branches, was announced at SAG's national board meeting in Los Angeles this month. Ching attended.
The cutbacks come at a time when SAG members here anticipate a flurry of work projects. Disney Channel's "Even Stevens" TV show has announced plans to do a TV movie, now called "The Stevens Get Even," in August, and Fox-TV has announced a comeback for a "Baywatch" movie starting Sept. 5, that likely could evolve into a reborn network series.
"I hear it's a go for both shows," Ching said.
