After three weeks of “insufficient progress” negotiating with the Screen Actors Guild, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced that it will turn its attention to the other actors union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, starting today. The goal will be to hammer out a new primetime contract for AFTRA-covered shows like Rules of Engagement, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and ‘Til Death, among others — and, ultimately, to avoid another debilitating Hollywood strike like the writers’ walkout that ended in February. The contracts for both SAG and AFTRA expire June 30.
Although SAG had released a statement saying it was prepared to negotiate around the clock until a deal was done, the AMPTP argued “significant differences” on DVD residuals, streaming, and made-for-new-media prevented its talks with SAG from continuing. “Under these circumstances, with SAG’s continued adherence to unreasonable demands in both new and traditional media, continuing negotiations at this time does not make sense,” said an AMPTP spokesman. But in a statement posted on the union’s website, SAG President Alan Rosenberg argued that negotiations should continue if both sides want to keep the town working. “It is unfortunate and deeply troubling that the AMPTP would suspend our negotiations at this critical juncture,” he said. “We have modified our proposals over the last three weeks in effort to bargain a fair contract for our members. We are committed to preserving rights that have been in place for decades and not giving the studios the right to use excerpts of our work in new media without our consent and negotiation. Our negotiating team is prepared to work around the clock for as long as it takes to get a fair deal.”
For its part, AFTRA has already successfully negotiated a new multi-year contract (a.k.a. Network Code) for its daytime actors and game/reality show talent. It is widely believed that if the AMPTP and AFTRA agree to a new primetime deal, the pressure will be on SAG to make a deal of its own before resorting to another crippling strike. “Our industry was not starting from scratch with this round of SAG negotiations,” said an AMPTP statement, citing the deals the organization made with writers, directors, and AFTRA earlier this year.
But SAG argues that the AMPTP had put forward a proposal that “differed substantially from the deals signed with the DGA and WGA.” SAG claims that the conglomerates’ clip demand “would gut existing provisions regarding actors’ consent to use of their clips and would allow studios and networks to use or sell clips — going forward and from their libraries — in any way they choose and without consent.”
Although SAG had released a statement saying it was prepared to negotiate around the clock until a deal was done, the AMPTP argued "significant differences" on DVD residuals, streaming, and made-for-new-media prevented its talks with SAG from continuing. "Under these circumstances, with SAG’s continued adherence to unreasonable demands in both new and traditional media, continuing negotiations at this time does not make sense," said an AMPTP spokesman. But in a statement posted on the union’s website, SAG President Alan Rosenberg argued that negotiations should continue if both sides want to keep the town working. "It is unfortunate and deeply troubling that the AMPTP would suspend our negotiations at this critical juncture," he said. "We have modified our proposals over the last three weeks in effort to bargain a fair contract for our members. We are committed to preserving rights that have been in place for decades and not giving the studios the right to use excerpts of our work in new media without our consent and negotiation. Our negotiating team is prepared to work around the clock for as long as it takes to get a fair deal."
For its part, AFTRA has already successfully negotiated a new multi-year contract (a.k.a. Network Code) for its daytime actors and game/reality show talent. It is widely believed that if the AMPTP and AFTRA agree to a new primetime deal, the pressure will be on SAG to make a deal of its own before resorting to another crippling strike. "Our industry was not starting from scratch with this round of SAG negotiations," said an AMPTP statement, citing the deals the organization made with writers, directors, and AFTRA earlier this year.
But SAG argues that the AMPTP had put forward a proposal that "differed substantially from the deals signed with the DGA and WGA." SAG claims that the conglomerates’ clip demand "would gut existing provisions regarding actors’ consent to use of their clips and would allow studios and networks to use or sell clips — going forward and from their libraries — in any way they choose and without consent."
Whaa! freaking Whaa!
While millions of Americans can’t afford gasoline, they want to get RICHER. They disgust me.
js
That’s an ignorant statement. Actors work for years to establish themselves, a lot of times with years in between jobs. They take the brunt of impact if a show doesn’t work because it’s their faces on the screen, and they consistently have to deal with unwarranted public critique and sycophantic obsession with what clothes they wear, or who they date. You have the anonymity of your computer, and that disgusts me. Buy a hybrid jackass.
If SAG strikes I am done with scripted television. I quit watching many shows during the writers strike fiasco, many others did as well, as the lower ratings across the board show. I agree with the poster about the Gas prices, the American people are suffering and we are supposed to side with a bunch of spoiled overpayed actors, let them live on my salary and see how they like that.
With all due respect, you made your choice for your job. This country is about choice, and if you made bad ones, then you should rectify that. You are not a victim. You have a problem with the price of gas. We all do. That has nothing to do with actors’ salaries. The country’s suffering has nothing to do with actors’ salaries. You want to stick it to them, vote for Obama. That way, the actors will get hit nice with the taxes, and you’ll be doing something for the environment. And ultimately, if you can’t live on your salary, I hope you don’t have kids that you can’t support.
This issue is not about mere money…. it is about protecting ones rights. Surely all should be able to recognize a slippery slope when one sees one. Why are the conglomorates getting bigger? Why are the rich getting richer and middle class falling into decay? And as for the poor …God help us all. When we allow the powers to be to make choices that define their bottom line and justify their avarice we have mortgage failings, Enrons, foreclosures, job lines. Look at the big picture. Actors( most make far less then the Tom Cruises of the world) musicians, writers dancers,did in deed choose the life they lead, but they like the rest of us should be paid for the work they do. When you are sad, want to celebrate, seek contemplation, where do you turn,the arts. For most likely to soothe, to calm, to uplift, to encourage, to feel a part of something. The arts can teach us compassion, can inflame us, can entertain us. After a hard day at a job you may be less then fond of..where do you turn?
Labor negotiations are always tough. Actors are just people in the process of improving their lives. Can’t blame either side, but both sides have to be smart and reasonable. Tough spot for both…
If SAG strikes, no one will win. The WGA went on strike and burned the entire industry in the process, and for what? Significant gains were NOT made. Like the WGA, SAG can’t expect The AMPTP to do what their agents should be doing. You want a better deal? Make you agent work harder. It’s the non working actors who aren’t making a deal. The working successful actors want a deal.
As a SAG/AFTRA/SSDC and AEA member, some of the comments here amaze me. I am not rich nor famous, but need the protection that these negotiations are fighting for. I eek out a stable living what I have done for over 20 years. Last year a film that I worked in used a clip of mine online (my image, my craft and my creativity and art) with no compensation. The film is also being distributed online via NetFlix; again, no compensation. Media and distribution change fast in these times and our contracts need to reflect it. To give producers carte blanch rights to use our images and creativity at their whim would be professional suicide. I love how most people believe that the majority of working actors make a six plus figure salary – when in reality 98% of union actors are unemployed on any given day.
The overwhelming majority of actors are NOT RICH. For the 98% of actors who are struggling and trying to become working actors – the few extra cents on DVDs can make the difference between paying for health insurance or not. On average the majority (95%) of SAG member make $5000 or less a year. So before you call them all “rich actors” do the research. On the flip side – the producers and studios are now multi BILLION dollar conglomerates. And they are raking in the money. Disney just announced RECORD PROFITS. So they cry poverty on one hand and take in the money hand over fist on the other. And they only make money because writers write scripts, and actors act in their projects, and crew work on their projects – etc. So SAG is only looking for fair compensation. The producers WANT a stike because they want to destroy SAG (and all unions).
Matt G-Did you get paid when you worked in the first place? Then you were already compensated. I work in the film business in a creative capacity as well, and ALL of the dozens of films that feature my ideas, art and creativity will be shown indefinetly in all kinds of media and I will never see another cent beyond the fair salary I negotiated before production began, and I received until production ended. The SAG strike will put tens of thousands of workers who will never get residual checks in the mail during the strike and make much less than the DAILY MINIMUM of $759.00 that actors receive plus residuals. How do you sleep at night taking money away from real working so can you can pick up a few extra pennies from online streaming?
Matt G-Did you get paid when you worked in the first place? Then you were already compensated. I work in the film business in a creative capacity as well, and ALL of the dozens of films that feature my ideas, art and creativity will be shown indefinetly in all kinds of media and I will never see another cent beyond the fair salary I negotiated before production began, and I received until production ended. The SAG strike will put tens of thousands of workers who will never get residual checks in the mail during the strike and make much less than the DAILY MINIMUM of $759.00 that actors receive plus residuals. How do you sleep at night taking money away from real working so can you can pick up a few extra pennies from online streaming?
I supported the writers and I support the actors as well. I don’t understand these people that are crying over gas prices and their salaries. I’m an office manager living from check to check because that’s the profession I chose. I get by from week to week, but a friend of mine went and paid CASH for a $200,000 house. How dare him? I’m thinking of blaming him for all my financial problems. Seems fair, right?
When you go to work, does your boss ever force you to drink a soda and say how great it is? If he did and then sold it without your permission, would you be pissed?
Producers now are getting extra money by forcing actors to gush over products in the shows. (Tony Soprano talks about a car, etc). The producers make a ton of moeny off this and the actors get nothing.
These are the issues being dealt with. And assuming all actors are rich is like me assuming you own your own company simply because you have a briefcase.
David – you said “I will never see another cent beyond the fair salary I negotiated before production began.” You NEGOTIATED; why didn’t you negotiate for residuals? You had the right to negotiate, why shouldn’t they?
The guys at SAG should be applauded for making a stand.
If they cave in, what’s the point of effective leadership?
I’m all for a SAG strike. The only ones who are not are the media congloms.