Strikebreakers face possible union expulsion

HOLLYWOOD, California (Reuters) -- Two dozen actors who joined the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) since the union's six-month strike against advertisers have been targeted for possible expulsion for performing struck work.

SAG sources said the committee on strikebreakers has turned over its evidence, such as call sheets and photos from ad shoots, to the union's membership department. According to the sources, the offending actors often used identities other than their stage names when performing in non-union ads or obtained membership through a SAG branch in another region.

The accused strikebreakers could be expelled for making a fraudulent application or brought before trial boards for punishments that can include suspension, fines and expulsion.

At least four SAG members who performed struck work have gone through trial boards, including golfer Tiger Woods, whose punishment was a $100,000 fine with $50,000 of that deferred.

Many SAG activists endorse dealing harshly with strikebreakers because of their influence in prolonging the work stoppage. The strikebreaker committee has compiled a database of more than 1,000 actors who performed non-union work during the six-month strike.

SAG's national board has imposed a permanent ban on membership for non-union members who performed struck work and its national executive committee voted two weeks ago to create Membership Application Review Committees for each branch to bar any non-union strikebreaker from joining.

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