Actors guild delays vote on strike authorization

[ljacks13]

By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER, Associated Press Writer Shaya Tayefe Mohajer, Associated Press Writer

Tue Dec 23, 9:17 am ET

LOS ANGELES – Citing division among its membership, the Screen Actors Guild delayed a vote that would authorize the union to call a strike and bring the entertainment business to a halt.

SAG announced Monday it would delay sending out the ballots until Jan. 14 at the earliest, after the union's national board holds an emergency meeting. The union initially planned to send strike authorization ballots to more than 100,000 union members on Jan. 2, a date that would have put Oscar night within reach of a potential boycott.

Doug Allen, SAG's national executive director, said the union is split on whether to cast ballots. He said 2,524 members endorse the vote and 1,373 members are opposed, including A-list actors Pierce Brosnan and Cameron Diaz.

"This division does not help our effort to get an agreement ... that our members will ratify," Allen wrote in a letter to union members.

SAG leaders had been pushing for the vote amid stalled contract negotiations with Hollywood studios. But on Dec. 12 a New York faction of the union called for a delay, calling it "irresponsible" to threaten a strike while the industry was in an economic downturn.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major studios, have been negotiating a new deal with SAG since before the previous contract expired June 30.

AMPTP spokesman Jesse Hiestand said the studios were aware of the delay but had no comment.

Earlier in the day, the AMPTP issued a statement urging SAG members to study the studios' final offer and ask "whether it makes sense to strike over a deal that will raise wages, raise benefits, add new residuals and establish jurisdiction in new media for the first time."

In SAG's letter, Allen notified members that the vote would be delayed at least until after the union's board meets on Jan. 12 and 13.

The guild is seeking union coverage for all Internet-only productions regardless of budget, residual payments for Internet productions replayed in ad-supported platforms online, and continued actor benefits during work stoppages, including those caused by strikes by other unions.

The studios have said a formula for payment in new media formats has already been agreed upon by another actors union, directors, and writers, whose 100-day strike derailed the Golden Globe Awards in January.

The studios have said it was unreasonable for SAG to demand a better deal, especially now that the economy has worsened.

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On the Net:

http://www.sag.org

http://www.amptp.org/

[jcar03]

Since soap actors work under a different union how will a possible SAG strike affect soaps? I know the actors on the shows belong to both SAG and AFTRA but this article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28180598/) makes it seem that those shows whose actors are under the AFTRA won't be affected.

[Kubla Khan]

SAG is so stupid.

[Dan]

If SAG is smart, they would take the deal for 3 years or so and then strike (if need be) during the next negotiation period. The truth is, AMPTP have SAG right where they want them. They proposed a deal similar to the WGA and DGA contracts. So if the actors don't take it, they look like the bad guys. Even moreso, if the actors strike during an economic downturn, the tide of public opinion will turn decisively against them. Not to say that the public will suddenly find a new form of entertainment, but the public reputation of those supporting a strike could take a hit. After all, actors are far more in the spotlight than writers. While not many may know who John Wells is, chances are, they have heard of George Clooney. The A-listers, fairly or not, are going to be the representatives for SAG to the public and they are going to look like fat cats just as much as the studios.

[BadZoe]

I wish the SAG actors would strike, maybe we'd get some better movies out of people if there wasn't 6 being released each weekend.

[Dan]

Yes, but our luck, we will get 4 really bad movies with a load of truly untalented actors...