Not good news at all, as this portion of the article in Variety states:
In a move toward Hollywood's second strike in a year, the Screen Actors Guild will seek a strike authorization from its 120,000 members -- prompting an angry response from the congloms.
SAG made the announcement early Saturday morning after federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez abandoned efforts to bring the two sides together, following their first face-to-face meeting in four months. Neither side budged significantly during two lengthy sessions Thursday and Friday with negotiators spending much of the time reiterating previous positions.
"Our leadership was optimistic that federal mediation would help to move our negotiations forward, but despite the Guild’s extraordinary efforts to reach agreement, the mediation was adjourned shortly before 1:00 a.m. today," SAG said. "Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members."
The Alliance of Motion Pictures blasted back at SAG late Saturday morning by asserting the guild's out of touch with the industry's concerns and noting that it's the only Hollywood union that hasn't closed a master contract deal this year.
"Now, SAG is bizarrely asking its members to bail out the failed negotiating strategy with a strike vote - at a time of historic economic crisis," the AMPTP said. "The tone deafness of SAG is stunning."
SAG national exec director Doug Allen told Daily Variety that it's the companies are out of step. "It's ironic that they would use the word 'tone deaf' when they've been tone deaf when it comes to listening to the concerns of working actors," he added.
No timetable's been set for the authorization vote but SAG could be on strike on primetime and features as early as the Jan. 11 Golden Globes. SAG would need at leaset three weeks to conduct the strike authorization vote but it said Saturday it would launch a "full-scale education campaign" in support of a "yes" vote.
For SAG to strike, the authorization must receive support from 75% of members who vote on the referendum. SAG's strategy of holding out for a better deal received backing of 87% of slightly over 10,000 members voting in a September postcard poll -- which the AMPTP derided as meaningless -- but it's uncertain if SAG members would offer the same level of support amid a worsening economy.
SAG last struck in 2000, when it stayed out for six months against the ad industry.
SAG made the announcement early Saturday morning after federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez abandoned efforts to bring the two sides together, following their first face-to-face meeting in four months. Neither side budged significantly during two lengthy sessions Thursday and Friday with negotiators spending much of the time reiterating previous positions.
"Our leadership was optimistic that federal mediation would help to move our negotiations forward, but despite the Guild’s extraordinary efforts to reach agreement, the mediation was adjourned shortly before 1:00 a.m. today," SAG said. "Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members."
The Alliance of Motion Pictures blasted back at SAG late Saturday morning by asserting the guild's out of touch with the industry's concerns and noting that it's the only Hollywood union that hasn't closed a master contract deal this year.
"Now, SAG is bizarrely asking its members to bail out the failed negotiating strategy with a strike vote - at a time of historic economic crisis," the AMPTP said. "The tone deafness of SAG is stunning."
SAG national exec director Doug Allen told Daily Variety that it's the companies are out of step. "It's ironic that they would use the word 'tone deaf' when they've been tone deaf when it comes to listening to the concerns of working actors," he added.
No timetable's been set for the authorization vote but SAG could be on strike on primetime and features as early as the Jan. 11 Golden Globes. SAG would need at leaset three weeks to conduct the strike authorization vote but it said Saturday it would launch a "full-scale education campaign" in support of a "yes" vote.
For SAG to strike, the authorization must receive support from 75% of members who vote on the referendum. SAG's strategy of holding out for a better deal received backing of 87% of slightly over 10,000 members voting in a September postcard poll -- which the AMPTP derided as meaningless -- but it's uncertain if SAG members would offer the same level of support amid a worsening economy.
SAG last struck in 2000, when it stayed out for six months against the ad industry.
-Hopefully they can sort this out....
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well, any union has the right to strike in order to do good for its members, but it would certainly not bode well for the film industry
ReplyDeleteWhat a politically correct thing to say, Joey. I'm sure all the struggling actors are looking forward to not working or having the potential to work. How about the millionaire heads of the SAG union bite the bullet and do the right thing for once and wait out negotiations until our country is somewhat stable. It's completely selfish and it looks terrible on their parts. Actors pride themselvse on doing the right thing or taking a stand for the right causes and what not. That all goes out the window cos for what? They want a bigger trailer on the set of their next movie? It's not like the 40's where actors were owned by studios. Yes any union has a right to strike, but that doesn't mean they're right.
ReplyDeletenever made a judgement as to whether it was right or wrong, I just support the rights of the worker in general...in terms of this I just want what impacts the film industry the least in terms of production while not shortchanging anyone
ReplyDeleteHope it's not comming. I'm so tired of strikes. Just remembering the las one (writers) i shiver ... all the tv shows stopped and somo cancelled ... please no mo strikes :)
ReplyDelete