With additional reporting by Vanessa Juarez
Remember all those worries about an actors’ strike if the union didn’t get the deal it wanted from the conglomerates? Well, it’s far from over, folks. Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiating committee issued a recommendation that its National Board call for a strike authorization vote from the 120,000 members. The union cannot walk the picket line until 75 percent of members who vote on the issue say it is okay. The National Board is set to meet Oct. 18.
SAG is the lone holdout still negotiating a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (its previous deal expired in June). Guilds for the writers, directors, and daytime actors all signed new pacts with the major studios in the last year. Internet residuals continue represent a key sticking point in SAG’s stalled talks with the AMPTP. According to the advisory motion approved by the negotiating committee, "Negotiators…have requested that the AMPTP return to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair deal, and the AMPTP…has refused to change their position and continued to refuse to meet to attempt to advance the negotiations."
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The AMPTP responded by questioning whether this was really the time to talk about going on strike, especially given the dire situation on Wall Street. "Not only is the business suffering from recent economic decisions, but if ever there was a time when Americans wanted the diversions of movies and TV, it is now," the AMPTP said in a statement. "The DGA, the WGA, and AFTRA reached agreements on comparable terms months ago, during far better economic times, and it is unrealistic for SAG negotiators now to expect even better terms during this grim financial climate. This is the harsh economic reality, and no strike will change that reality."
Another major Hollywood strike so soon after last year’s Writers Guild of America work stoppage would be devastating to the economy in Los Angeles, where one in 10 jobs is said to be in the creative sector. As it is, Bloomberg News just reported that foreclosures in L.A. have tripled, and a strike would not only affect those who directly work in the entertainment industry, but those who make a living off of the biz peripherally, like interior designers and architects, for example.
TroyGould attorney and former WGA counsel Jonathan Handel, who has been blogging about the negotiations for quite some time, believes that a work stoppage now would be a risky roll of the dice by SAG. “A strike would almost certainly cause the studios to withdraw the offer on the table, and what SAG would get at the end of a long and bitter dispute is likely to be worse, or little better, than what they could get now. What SAG needs to do is close a deal promptly and live to fight — or strike — another day: mend the relationship with AFTRA, build closer alliances with the WGA, train its members to circumvent the studios by writing, directing, and producing their own new media productions, then come back strong in three years.”
Related Hollywood labor news:
Private Practice stars elected to SAG board
Will Smith sounds off on potential SAG strike
Pressure growing on SAG to avoid strike
The AMPTP responded by questioning whether this was really the time to talk about going on strike, especially given the dire situation on Wall Street. "Not only is the business suffering from recent economic decisions, but if ever there was a time when Americans wanted the diversions of movies and TV, it is now," the AMPTP said in a statement. "The DGA, the WGA, and AFTRA reached agreements on comparable terms months ago, during far better economic times, and it is unrealistic for SAG negotiators now to expect even better terms during this grim financial climate. This is the harsh economic reality, and no strike will change that reality."
Another major Hollywood strike so soon after last year’s Writers Guild of America work stoppage would be devastating to the economy in Los Angeles, where one in 10 jobs is said to be in the creative sector. As it is, Bloomberg News just reported that foreclosures in L.A. have tripled, and a strike would not only affect those who directly work in the entertainment industry, but those who make a living off of the biz peripherally, like interior designers and architects, for example.
TroyGould attorney and former WGA counsel Jonathan Handel, who has been blogging about the negotiations for quite some time, believes that a work stoppage now would be a risky roll of the dice by SAG. “A strike would almost certainly cause the studios to withdraw the offer on the table, and what SAG would get at the end of a long and bitter dispute is likely to be worse, or little better, than what they could get now. What SAG needs to do is close a deal promptly and live to fight — or strike — another day: mend the relationship with AFTRA, build closer alliances with the WGA, train its members to circumvent the studios by writing, directing, and producing their own new media productions, then come back strong in three years.”
Related Hollywood labor news:
Private Practice stars elected to SAG board
Will Smith sounds off on potential SAG strike
I’m real tired of these people. Don’t they make enough money!! It’s always something, either they have umpteen awards shows for themselves or they threaten to strike. Let them strike, shows and movies these days stink anyway. To heck with them. Read a book instead.
If SAG strikes and by that action assists California and specifically LA in trashing their economy, they will find out how unpopular they will become. I don’t see a lot of the “reality TV shows” going away. The networks will just throw more our way. The American people will be having enough trouble and if the economy tanks we won’t be going to the movies. Its time to step up and try and be part of the solution and not the problem. If you strike you effect many other people. And you will do this just b/c you aren’t getting the deal you want for the internet programs?? Help me understand this.
If they go on strike you can be assured that there is going to be some heavy back lash from the other trades in the business. We are suffering now. Actors already live the life of luxury compared to the folks that have to have to work the sets as long as we do day after day. We have been giving more from our contracts and will probably have to give up more thanks to SAG Selfish Arrogant Gimmies.
It is old and tiresome. Strike go for it I think you’ll find America does not care.
I hate SAG!!! They do not deserve a better deal than the other actors, writers and directors got. How arrogant and selfish!!! I hope they listen to the WGA and do not strike!
Bottom line – Everyone read this and remember this.
TV & Film producers backed by investors are making astronomical amounts of income from each project set out – it is veiwed purely as a profit maker with margins to be made and cut.
These producers and directors often collaborate on the project to determine the profitability before hand, hence terrible films an TV shows in the last decade.
Unfortunately, these pork-bellies of Entertainment, yes pork bellies don’t care about the arts, they just like being around the artist environs. Today many of the up & coming directors, producers, and actors are at best mediocre. The last 3 oscars, VMA,s & globes were some of the worst of record. The hosts are bloody nightmares, and strange enough why are they still around anyway.
To my fellow actors/actresses, don’t give away to these corporate mongers, they only look out for their own. Attorneys know this and should really look to give you the money and opportunities you deserve.
Great. Now we have more reality TV to look forward to. This last season has caused me to stop watching almost altogether, with the exception of Southpark. Remember when TV was great and paying for cable meant no commercials. *Sigh*
Greedy infidels! If ALL of Hollywood gave 1 million dollars of their own money towards this bailout crap, the amount their government is paying to keep their country out of a REAL depression would drop significantly. It is always more more more!
I agree also if all the pro athletes that are getting 11 million dollars a year would give it up and also all our Congressmen and Ladies and Senator would take a pay cut like all the rest of us then maybe I would understand why we are almost in a depression.
Don’t they understand that a strike will screw up the ecomony and everything even more??? This can’t happened again. Lost, Friday Night Lights, Prison Break, Grey’s, 24, etc. and any new series out now will really get hurt AGAIN if this strike isn’t prevented. Hopefully, this is just a scare tactic, so they can get what they want, and they won’t loose tons of fans. Cuz we don’t want our shows interupted!!! Don’t they care about the crew members who would get laid off, just like most of us normal workers. It’s a bad move and I hope to God they can prevent this.
the sag has no regards for companies like mine, who service the entertainment industry. a strike would cripple us.
Oh brother here we go again. More Arrogance! Why do actors believe that they deserve a better deal than writers and directors? And now they are proposing to strike in these horrid economic times? What support do the actors think that they will get? SAG will just take down the Los Angeles economy with them. This is just unconscionable. I think that actors actually deserve a reduction. They are just egotistical parrots. They emote and read the lines that they are given,not exactly nuclear science.
MILLIONAIRECAFELA – Read this and answer, why do actors think that they deserve more than what the WGA and DGA got? So long as actors work for studios then the studios will hold all the power. That’s business baby! If actors want more power and money then they need to band together and form their own studio. Then they can call the shots. The arrogance of actors is unbelievable. If actors want a better deal then they need to get their agents to work harder. Don’t make the union responsible for what lazy agents are not doing.
Our country in in a financial crisis with whole companies struggling to find the funds to stay in business. Go back to work and stop whining. There’s a time for everything, but this is not the time to be asking for more. Besides, we are tired of hearing of this. There is a plethora of more important issues.
OMG!!!!…sh*t, what am i gonna do?? i’m panicking…OMG, OMG, OMG. this can’t be happening!! i think i’m gonna die! omg, omg, omg!!!! please, stop the madness!!