Unions call out 'star power'

You might not think of actors and entertainers as union members in the same vein as blue-collar workers on the assembly line.

But the AFL-CIO recruited the star power of 47 actors, musicians, Broadway performers, comedians, writers, and others to support a bill in Congress that would make it easier for unions to organize.

In the new online video released today called "Artists4WorkersChoice, the entertainers -- many boasting Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony awards and nominations -- say they're union members who work every day for a living.

"People associate actors with fame and glory. The truth is for a long time my union contract was the reason I could support my family. That's why I support the Employee Free Choice Act," says television star Amy Brenneman. "Because each worker, regardless of their field, deserves the freedom to bargain for a contract, for a better life."

The other participants are: F. Murray Abraham, Polly Adams, David Alan Basche, P.J. Benjamin, Kate Burton, Gabrielle Carteris, James Cromwell, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, John Cunningham, Emilio Delgado, Andre De Shields, Kevin Dobson, Mike Farrell, Sam Freed, Ed Fry, Jason George, Nancy Giles, Elliott Gould, Holter Graham, Valerie Harper, Don Hastings, Gregory Jbara, Anne-Marie Johnson, S. Marc Jordan, Kevin Kilner, Michele Lee, Kate Linder, James Lurie, Richard Masur, Anne Meara, Esai Morales, Robert Newman, Kathleen Noone, Nancy Opel, Robert Pine, Roberta Reardon, Sam Robards, Alan Rosenberg, Ned Schmidtke, Charles Shaughnessy, Chris Shiflett, Kate Shindle, Connie Stevens, Jerry Stiller, Paul F. Tompkins and Mark Zimmerman.

The video was developed by Actors' Equity Association; the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Writers Guild of America, among others.

"Union contracts give workers the freedom to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits, regardless of their profession," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in a statement. "Today's performers are standing with construction workers and teachers and nurses to call for the Employee Free Choice Act and declare that all workers deserve the freedom to form a union and bargain for a better life."

UPDATE: Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that Senator Arlen Specter, a potential key vote, is now sounding optimistic about a compromise on the legislation.

Specter, who said in March he would oppose the bill, said today the "prospects are pretty good" for a deal and said he is "hard at work trying to find some way to find an answer," the AP says.

Since stating his opposition, Specter left the Republican party and joined the Democrats, and unions have put pressure on him over the bill. He supported it in the last Congress and could be the 60th vote needed to overcome an expected GOP filibuster. He is now running for re-election next year, and labor unions are a major force in Democratic politics in Pennsylvania.