Jane Austin, stuntwoman and current secretary-treasurer for SAG-AFTRA, announced her campaign for SAG-AFTRA president on Thursday, making her the third candidate vying to lead the actors’ guild. She will run against incumbent Gabrielle Carteris and “Full Metal Jacket” actor Matthew Modine.
Austin, who is also president of SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles local, has served in both of her current union roles since 2015. She has also chaired the guild’s Stunt Committee and served on the National Executive Committee, the Communications Committee and the Disciplinary Review Committee.
In a statement announcing her campaign, Austin said she would be running independently of the two-party slate system, having previously run for secretary-treasurer as part of the Membership First slate. Modine will be running in this campaign as part of Membership First.
“With so much at stake, our members need to be able to trust that its leaders are advocating for what’s important to their day to day lives,” Austin said. “They want a union that is inclusive, transparent, and truly in solidarity. The two-party slate system represents an antiquated system that no longer effectively serves the interests of the membership across all 25 locals.”
“SAG-AFTRA needs to be strong in the next negotiations, strong in enforcing our contracts, strong in supporting all locals, strong in supporting all performers, and strong in conducting day to day business,” she added. “The only way we can accomplish that is for all of us to get involved in this process […] I want to earn your vote based on what I have already done and what I will do to make SAG-AFTRA strong and earn the members’ and the industry’s trust.”