Screen Actors Guild Wants to Keep Tiger (Woods) Caged

Less than a month after screen goddess Liz Hurley was berated and fined for her involvement with a non-union commercial shoot, Tiger Woods is the latest in a series of high-profile members who have drawn fire from the group. Woods was fined $100,000 for the automobile commercials that frequently aired during the recent Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. In May of this year, Woods issued a statement supporting the union and noted that he would not participate in any non-union commercial shoots. In July, however, Woods did just that, shooting a non-union ad in Canada following his British Open win.

Woods had postponed many shoots in the early summer in an attempt to honor that promise, but added, "I have relationships to uphold with my sponsors who have supported me over the years. This is in no way a stance against the union." For his involvement with the non-union shoot, Woods underwent a three-day board hearing. The SAG found Woods to be in violation of his membership agreement, but reduced the fine to $50,000. The additional $50,000 would be levied against Woods should he participate further in non-union shoots. Some members of the SAG and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists felt the punishment was too lenient and wished to see Woods dismissed from the union.

Tiger had 15 days to appeal the decision but chose not to do so. Woods, who certainly does not need the support or membership in the SAG to garner commercial gigs, perhaps wished to get the ordeal behind him. Woods' membership may be seen as little more than a politically correct manner of going about the business of conducting the endorsements and public relations aspect of his career.