SAG: The Strike Watch Thread

[Lighthouse]

Forgive me if there is another thread, but I didn't see one.

Am I the only one whose been particularly alarmed/fascinated by the drama going on with the possible actor's strike? With the effect of the writer's strike, the bitter feud between SAG and AFTRA, and the looming June 30th deadline, this has made for some very interesting events in Tinseltown. I'd like to know what other members of the hype think, which side you're on, and whether you agree or disagree with SAG's actions.

With todays news, things suddenly have become much more heated.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987130.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

SAG rallies against AFTRA
Guild member encourage to vote down deal
By DAVE MCNARY

Scribes joined SAG members in protesting AFTRA's deal with the majors at a rally Monday at the union's Miracle Mile headquarters.
Union members rally outside of the SAG building on Wilshire.

The SAG-AFTRA hatefest has shifted into high gear, with fighting on multiple fronts over the upcoming membership vote on AFTRA's primetime deal.

The battles between the two unions came into sharp focus Monday as the guild hosted a boisterous anti-AFTRA rally at its Hollywood headquarters -- an event with echoes of the 100-day writers strike as dozens of WGA members donned their familiar red-and-black shirts and hoisted picket signs. Defenders of AFTRA blasted SAG's effort as misguided and full of lies.

SAG is aiming to persuade the 44,000 thesps belonging to both unions to vote against ratification of the pact AFTRA reached with the majors last month. The tenor of the comments during the morning rally raised the specter of SAG leadership moving into strike-prep mode.

"It is essential that we vote down that AFTRA deal now," said SAG prexy Alan Rosenberg, who blamed AFTRA's deal for SAG's lack of progress at the negotiating table. "AFTRA has now abandoned us to make their own deal to the potential detriment of actors. ... AFTRA's capitulations on these major issues has created a problem for our negotiating team and for all of us who are joint cardholders."

Chants of "Vote no!" came from the raucous crowd of about 500 during short speeches by Rosenberg, Keith Carradine, SAG national exec director Doug Allen, WGA West president Patric Verrone and WGA West exec director David Young. There were also repeated boos and catcalls when AFTRA was mentioned.

Rosenberg did not spare the congloms from criticism, pointing to Disney topper Robert Iger's salary and alleging the majors' new-media proposals are deceptively cloaked in the guise of partnership -- when the reality is closer to enslavement.

"What they've actually asked us to do is to pick up those shackles and put them on ourselves," he declared. "Based on what they've told us, it's clear to us that they do not want us to participate as partners but as the lab rats on which they will be experimenting."

The rally served to highlight the gaps between SAG's positions and the congloms as negotiations on a new feature-primetime deal headed into the 25th day Monday, with SAG's contract due to expire June 30. Both sides had no comment Monday and talks were expected to resume today.

"We are in danger of losing rights that we will never regain," SAG board member William Mapother said, citing the use of online clips, jurisdiction over new media, product integration and force majeure contract clauses as major concerns for actors. "We feel that our requests are fair."

Several SAG negotiating committee members indicated SAG still hasn't ditched the idea of asking its 120,000 members for a strike authorization.

Longtime SAG board member Kent McCord told Daily Variety that holding off on an authorization vote is a signal that the guild "wants to make a deal."
More than one option

"It's in the hands of the employers," McCord added. "They have the ability to prevent any kind of labor action."

Though the event was billed as a "solidarity rally," speakers spent much of the time bashing AFTRA. SAG also distributed fliers with its analysis of AFTRA's deal, such as asserting that the increases in minimums barely keep up with inflation; that AFTRA's low-budget thresholds for new media would allow companies to make nonunion shows; and that rates for streaming are the same as the DGA deal, which SAG has repeatedly criticized.

An AFTRA spokeswoman took issue with the assertions, adding: "It is unfortunate that SAG's primary negotiating tactic seems to be to vote down its sister union's contract on a prayer of achieving a better deal with the AMPTP. Today's event only further demonstrates that they have little support for their misguided strategy. SAG members should encourage guild leadership to spend more time at the table and less time, effort and member resources undermining AFTRA."

Despite SAG's tough talk, the guild launched the anti-AFTRA initiative with a badly split leadership, reflected in last Friday's 13-10 vote by SAG's national exec committee. And members of SAG's negotiating committee from New York and the regional branches -- who have often sided with AFTRA in past disputes -- announced a boycott of the rally.

"We cannot support anything that jeopardizes our negotiations at this very sensitive time, and that is just what this ill-advised action does," negotiating co-chairman Mike Pniewski said. "There's simply too much at stake to engage in such a divisive initiative."

New York SAG president Sam Freed, also a negotiating panel co-chair, called the event "an irresponsible embarrassment," asserting that there's no evidence that defeating the AFTRA ratification would help SAG.

But Rosenberg insisted the AFTRA deal will make it even more difficult for middle-class actors to make ends meet and pointed to the shortcomings of AFTRA's deal on product integration, online clip consent, DVD residuals, and payments for and jurisdiction over new media and mileage rates. "If you think all these things are fair, you should vote for the AFTRA deal," he added.

SAG will hold a membership meeting Wednesday night at the Harmony Gold theater in Los Angeles. For its part, AFTRA plans to hold multiple info meetings starting Thursday, and its negotiating committee chairman, Matt Kimbrough, began issuing "Lie from SAG" emails, characterizing SAG's moves as "horribly misleading" in their attempt to contrast what SAG wants with what AFTRA's achieved.

"A union has achieved nothing by virtue of what it proposes," he said. "The terms agreed to in the Exhibit A contract in Prime Time Television with the AMPTP, which was overwhelmingly ratified by the AFTRA National Board of Directors, is a very rich contract in money, representing over 4% growth in cost to the studios to performers other than stars. Major Role performers will receive a 15% raise in Major Role Minimum."

AFTRA president Roberta Reardon also took a swipe at SAG as being disconnected with reality in her most recent message to members, seeking a ratification vote. Ballots will go out in about a week, and results will be announced July 7.

"There's an old saying that politics is the art of the possible," she said. "In our view, so is collective bargaining. You need to be tough and determined, but you must also be strategic and forward-thinking. Responsible unionism is not about posturing and rhetoric but about setting firm goals, defining priorities and moving forward intelligently to achieve them. The goal of the negotiating committee was to forge an agreement that protects your rights and maximizes your opportunity to make a good living at the craft you love. The AFTRA National Board believes strongly that the primetime contract just negotiated does exactly that."

During the speeches, Rosenberg and Allen complained several times about DGA and AFTRA's terms in new media, while failing to note that the WGA's deal is nearly identical. Young alluded to that in his remarks, saying, "We hope you can make a better deal than we did and move the ball down the field."

Verrone said SAG had been more supportive of the WGA than other unions during the writers strike, adding, "During our 100-day hoedown, there was one union that stood up more and looked better than any other."

SAG and AFTRA are negotiating separately for the first time in three decades due to bitter jurisdictional disputes, culminating when AFTRA leaders asserted in March that they could no longer trust SAG leaders. The majors have indicated that they're unwilling to give SAG a significantly better deal than AFTRA received with hints that the mostly likely areas for compromise might come in actor-specific areas such as product integration and force majuere language.

Notables in attendance at Monday's rally -- first announced three days earlier -- included former SAG prexy Ed Asner, board members Justine Bateman and Anne-Marie Johnson, Joely Fisher, Kate Flannery, Marg Helgenberger, Mark Moses, Lea Thompson and Lisa Ann Walter.

 

[Webhead2006]

Its looking a bit unlikely SAG will strike since AFTRA a few days ago made it offical with there deal with AMPTP. SAG is looking like the bad guys if they dont make some sort of deal with the studios because no one is going to really rally on their side with all the hate going on. This is totally different from when the writers striked last yr. So the best thing for SAG to do now is to just compromise so they can atless get a few things better going for them.

 

[Lighthouse]

SAG trying to block the vote of another guild I think is a bit shameful. They should concentrate on their own deal.

 

[Symbiotic]

I hope this doesn't happen. We just got done with one strike a few months ago, we don't need another one.

 

[Raiden]

I can't really side with SAG on this issue.

 

[The Lizard]

Just as long as the Film Actors Guild doesn't strike....

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I don't think SAG is going to strike anytime soon. They can just continue to negotiate.

 

[Lighthouse]

Just as long as the Film Actors Guild doesn't strike....

Hehe, its not even the second page yet and we already have a Team America joke.

 

[RickO'Connell]

Another ****ing strike ?

 

[Webhead2006]

Yea no one is on SAG side now with all the trouble SAG is making. Now SAG original deal ends on june 30th so if they dont make a new deal they can then strike on the 30th. But as i said with all the hate going on and no one going to rally on SAG's side. They should just cave in and make some sort of deal with the studios so they can atless get a little more money/compensation on things.

 

[Lighthouse]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987263.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

SAG actions irk AFTRA
Federation chairman responds to Monday rally
By DAVE MCNARY

With Hollywood on edge at the prospect of an actors strike, SAG's negotiating committee has been accused of dragging its feet at the bargaining table in order to wage war against the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists.

AFTRA negotiating committee chairman Matt Kimbrough leveled the charge against Screen Actors Guild's leaders on Tuesday, a day after the guild staged a raucous rally urging SAG members who also belong to AFTRA to vote down the latter's primetime deal. A SAG spokeswoman denied the allegations.

More industry backlash to SAG's aggressive campaigning against AFTRA is brewing, according to biz insiders.

"Since returning to the table two weeks ago, word is that the SAG negotiating committee in caucus spends far more time talking about AFTRA than about the issues embedded in theirs and management's respective proposals," Kimbrough said in a widely distributed message. "Instead of using every day it has this month to aggressively and constructively negotiate for its members, the SAG committee spends days in internal meetings, planning the 'Vote No!' campaign, staging rallies, putting staff on the marching line and spending our dues money trying to defeat it."

Kimbrough also recited a long litany of AFTRA complaints about SAG that led to AFTRA's decision to discontinue the longstanding policy of joint negotiations with SAG, citing "a yearlong AFTRA disparagement campaign."

SAG national exec director Doug Allen and president Alan Rosenberg delivered fiery speeches at Monday morning's rally, with both blaming AFTRA for SAG's lack of progress at negotiations and asserting that AFTRA's deal falls far short of being acceptable. The rally was attended by many members of the negotiating committee, and bargaining with the majors didn't resume until the afternoon.

Kimbrough's broadside was delivered on the 26th day of negotiations between the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. SAG said it's focused on making a deal.

"Our committee is working hard every day and into the evenings," a guild spokeswoman said. "While the tentative AFTRA contract is on everyone's minds, we are focused on getting a contract. AFTRA is not a big topic in our caucus room. Actors are."

The SAG-AMPTP talks are expected to resume today.

SAG's insisted that major gaps remain on an array of issues including DVD and streaming residuals, force majeure language, online clip consent, jurisdiction over made-for-the-Internet productions and product integration. And SAG leaders assert that the terms of AFTRA's deal are problematic on several fronts and that the lack of compensation gains will make it impossible for middle-class actors to stay in the business, particularly with much of the delivery of features and TV migrating to digital platforms.

The AMPTP "told us, literally, they need us to unshackle them to liberate them, so that they can experiment in an unfettered way in this new-media space," Rosenberg said at Monday's rally. "What they've actually asked us to do is to pick up those shackles and put them on ourselves."

The multiplicity of SAG's unresolved deal points announced Monday is perplexing to outsiders, since Rosenberg had complained on May 6 that SAG was "within hours" of closing a deal with the AMPTP -- which had opted to recess the SAG talks to launch the twice-delayed AFTRA negotiations.

Despite the recent tough talk, SAG has yet to take the step of calling for a strike authorization vote, which would require 75% approval by those voting for the guild to go on strike.

SAG leaders are holding a general membership meeting tonight at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. SAG's contract expires June 30, though guild leaders have emphasized that they can continue to negotiate after that date without an immediate work stoppage.

Though there's no official news blackout, the majors have said little about SAG's proposals beyond strongly indicating that the AMPTP won't agree to a deal that's significantly better than its pacts with the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America and AFTRA.

The AFTRA deal will go out to the union's 70,000 members next week, with results announced July 7. Kimbrough noted that his negotiating team had worked through the entire Memorial Day weekend and late into the night to reach the tentative pact on May 28 after 18 days of talks.

"It reached out to working members outside of its leadership to testify in their own words to management on the importance of an actor's fundamental right of consent over clips," he added. "More than once, the task seemed insurmountable. The AFTRA committee more than once was committed to walking away from the table if management refused to compromise, and yet the brave committee members determined that the only way to not fail was by trying to make a deal. In the end, a great deal was made. Better than recent years. Better than anyone expected."

 

[TheVileOne]

The reason why the strikes do not work, is that the only people it is going to hurt are the people the workers on strike are going against.

Because of the strike. Lots of people went out of jobs. Look what else happened. Layoffs at WB. New Line went under. Paramount Vantage went under. WB's indy wing went under.

While this is sort of the nature of working for big companies, corporations, and communication conglomerates, I truly feel the strike hurts more than helps.

Harlan Ellison wrote about that the WGA got bent over and screwed in the agreement.

 

[Lighthouse]

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=print_story&articleid=VR1117987394&categoryid=13

Studios accuse SAG of stalling talks
Alliance frustrated with Rosenberg, union
By DAVE MCNARY
With the town's patience running thin, the majors have taken the gloves off and accused the Screen Actors Guild of deliberately stalling at the bargaining table.

Thursday afternoon's angry proclamation -- which accused SAG leaders of lying and wasting the congloms' time -- came after guild president Alan Rosenberg asserted that he was skeptical that SAG would reach an agreement before its feature-primetime pact expires on June 30.

That assessment fired up the congloms, which had previously maintained a far less confrontational tone when complaining about SAG's go-slow approach.

"We are frustrated and discouraged that on June 12, with 18 days left in the month, SAG's Hollywood leadership is already saying that it's unlikely a deal will be made by June 30," the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said in an unusually blunt and lengthy statement. "We hope that (Rosenberg's) statement does not signal the intention of SAG's Hollywood leaders to bring our industry to a halt. We remain committed to working as hard as we can to reach our fifth labor agreement of 2008 by June 30."

SAG fired back by asserting that it is "possible" to make a deal by June 30 -- but only if the AMPTP will relent on its positions. SAG insisted the guild's made all the concessions so far.

"Negotiations are about give and take; thus far it has primarily been SAG's negotiating committee 'giving,'" SAG said in a statement. "Management's time would be better spent by committing to real progress and substantive negotiation of our various proposals."

The latest contretemps will increase Hollywood's fear that SAG actors will strike -- although Rosenberg's also said that no decision's been made on seeking a strike authorization from the guild's 120,000 members.

The AMPTP accused SAG of being selfish for not considering how its leisurely approach has affected the biz.

Rosenberg and SAG national exec director Doug Allen have blamed the lack of progress on rival thesp union AFTRA for having reached a separate primetime deal two weeks ago -- leading SAG leaders to attempt to persuade its 44,000 dual members to vote down the AFTRA deal.

But the AMPTP declared Thursday that it is SAG's fault that the negotiations are stalled, and they repeated the accusation by AFTRA leaders that SAG has spent most of its time campaigning to against the AFTRA pact.

SAG's key gripes about the terms of the AFTRA deal include new-media jurisdiction and residuals, product placement, force majeure, gas mileage reimbursement and DVD residuals.

Despite SAG's assertions that it's going full force toward making a deal, many believe the guild plans to stall at the bargaining table until July 7, when results of the AFTRA vote are announced. The AMPTP's missive -- sent as a notice to its member companies -- buttressed that assessment and noted that SAG had dragged its feet ever since Feb. 14, when the majors made their request to start talks ASAP.

"Any effort by SAG to drag out these negotiations past June 30 would be a disservice to the people in this industry whose livelihoods are being put on hold," the AMPTP said. "SAG's inability to close this deal has already put the industry into another de facto strike, limiting the greenlighting of features and disrupting pilot production.

"While we have made some progress with SAG, we are still far apart on fundamental issues," the AMPTP said. "We remain committed to making a fair and reasonable agreement before the June 30 deadline and are pushing ahead despite the rallies, meetings and events to which SAG's Hollywood leadership has recently devoted considerable time and energy (often during hours that are usually reserved for negotiations)."

Rosenberg and Allen received a warm response at Monday's rally outside SAG's Hollywood headquarters and at Wednesday's town hall meeting to urge a no vote on the AFTRA deal. SAG's strategy is to force AFTRA to make a better deal, partly to reduce the incentive for producers working in areas of shared jurisdiction to go with AFTRA rather than SAG.

SAG's talks started April 16 and recessed May 6 with the AMPTP insisting that it had to start the twice-delayed talks with AFTRA, whose contract is also up June 30. Rosenberg protested and claimed at that point that SAG was "within hours" of a deal.

In Thursday's announcement, the AMPTP also repeated AFTRA's accusation that SAG is interfering with the affairs of another union. The majors said SAG threw a monkey wrench into the negotiations with its insistence on changing the framework for new-media compensation agreed to in deals earlier this year with the DGA, WGA and AFTRA -- after asserting that SAG was willing to work within that framework.

The majors claimed that SAG's demands in traditional media would result in "enormous additional financial burdens." Instead, the AMPTP said it's being generous in its offer to SAG, given the current economic climate in showbiz and the nation.

SAG's Hollywood leaders took another hit Thursday from the guild's New York leaders, who have often sided with AFTRA in similar disputes, as all the SAG board members from that branch disavowed the anti-AFTRA campaign. The reps also said the issue should have been decided by the full board rather than the smaller national exec committee, which approved the campaign on a 13-10 vote.

"More importantly, the New York board opposes this unconscionable attempt to interfere with the internal business of a sister union because it has no strategic value for our negotiations, because it will waste $150,000 of the members' dues money, because it may result in costly legal battles for the guild and because it will forever tarnish our image as a union," the New York leaders said.

"We feel strongly that AFTRA members have the right to decide for themselves whether this contract is acceptable, without interference from any outside organization, and we believe it is imperative that SAG leadership focus on our ongoing negotiations with the AMPTP and not divert any more time, energy or dues money to attacking a union upon which 45,000 of its own members depend."

But SAG insisted its statement that its negotiating committee is "united" in its commitment to completing negotiations.

"We hope we can count on an equal effort from management," SAG said.

 

[Webhead2006]

Man SAG is really making themselves look like the bad guys here. They should just settle with AMPTP and make some sort of deal so both parties can atless get something out of this mess.

 

[Alexia Dark]

As an actress and hopefully a future member of one or both of the unions mentioned, I have to say that it is absolutely right that SAG should protest a similar union willing to settle for far less than an actor's work is worth (and far less than what the film 'owners' will make with the money from new media).

It is already extremely difficult for one to make a living as an actor. Just like the writer's strike: "When they get paid, we should get paid." Simple as that.

See sig.

 

[Lighthouse]

As an actress and hopefully a future member of one or both of the unions mentioned, I have to say that it is absolutely right that SAG should protest a similar union willing to settle for far less than an actor's work is worth (and far less than what the film 'owners' will make with the money from new media).

It is already extremely difficult for one to make a living as an actor. Just like the writer's strike: "When they get paid, we should get paid." Simple as that.

See sig.

Shouldn't they focus on their own union deals instead of wasting time protesting the other one? I mean, SAG represents SAG, not every single actor. What AFTRA does really isn't any of their business.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Can any actors work without SAG or AFTRA Membership?

 

[Alexia Dark]

Yes, but there rules... so many rules, I can't even wrap my head around most of them. Essentially, a non-union actor is paid far, far less than a union actor. Even most union members are not paid tons of money. But the actors you see on major series and in any major theatrical release? Union.

 

[hpwiz89]

WHAT!!!! Not another strike!

 

[TheVileOne]

The feeling right now is that the SAG strike is definitely going to happen, but hopefully not last as long as the WGA strike.

While I understand the plight of the union workers, they only hurt themselves by striking. The people they are striking against will keep their jobs and stay comfortably on their thrones. The hard working staff people are the ones that got laid off during the WGA strike. Not the big time executives and studio heads. Not to mention all the companies that folded up.

Just saying, that South Park episode looks more and more accurate with each passing day. I'm not saying not strike. But there's got to be a better answer to this.

 

[Lighthouse]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987490.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

SAG stands firm on key issues
Guild remains committed to major priorities
By DAVE MCNARY
A day after the majors blasted the Screen Actors Guild for stalling at negotiations, SAG hasn't backed off any of its key stances.

The announcement Friday SAG's negotiating committee underlines the growing concerns that SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will reach a deal soon -- and probably not before the June 30 expiration of the feature-primetime contract. SAG issued the statement with negotiations concluding for the 30th day with talks set to resume Monday.

SAG said its feature-TV negotiating committee had unanimously endorsed its commitment to eight priorities -- gains in middle-class actor compensation, pension and health contributions from employers, DVD residuals, protection from product integration abuse, preservation of force majeure protections, new-media clip consent and new-media jurisdiction and residuals.

None of the issues are a surprise. SAG's leaders have described those areas as crucial over the past week as part of SAG's campaign to persuade its 44,000 members who also belong to AFTRA to vote down AFTRA's ratification of its primetime deal.

"We are united and committed to working together in achieving the best possible contract for the benefit of all actors," the SAG committee said. "We pledge to stand together, united, not allowing ourselves to be distracted from our crucial and singular mission by anyone. No matter what the distraction or from where it may come, this committee will continue to stand firm to achieve the best contract possible. We are standing up for you and ask you to stand strong with us."

The "unity statement" was issued a day after SAG leaders from New York and the regional branches blasted the Hollywood leaders for the anti-AFTRA campaign.

The AMPTP had no response to the new statement. However, AFTRA kept up the battle with SAG on Friday, issuing an extensive announcement defending its new deal and blasting SAG on half a dozen points.

For example, AFTRA contended that SAG's criticism over AFTRA giving up significant jurisdiction in New Media is bogus.

"Under the existing AFTRA and SAG contracts, it’s completely up to the producer to decide whether or not a New Media program will be a union show," it said. "Under the new AFTRA agreement, all derivative productions and all original productions over certain budget thresholds ($15,000/minute or $300,000/program or $500,000/series, whichever is lowest) must be union shows. Moreover, original productions with budgets below the threshold fall under union jurisdiction any time there is a 'covered performer' employed in the production."

AFTRA also blistered SAG for still insisting on a gain in DVDs when no other union's been able to do so.

"In their negotiations earlier this year with both the WGA and the DGA, the studios made it clear that the proposal to increase DVD compensation rates was a non-starter," AFTRA said. "Against this backdrop, AFTRA felt it made sense to focus its energies on issues where progress could be made."

The AMPTP had issued its blast on Thursday after guild president Alan Rosenberg asserted that he was skeptical that SAG would reach an agreement before June 30. SAG fired back by asserting that it is "possible" to make a deal by June 30 -- but only if the AMPTP will relent on its positions with SAG insisting the guild's made all the concessions so far.

Hollywood remains uncertain whether SAG will strike, which would require backing in authorization vote by 75% of members voting. Rosenberg's said recently that no decision's been made on seeking a strike authorization from the guild's 120,000 members.

The AMPTP accused SAG of being selfish for not considering how its go-slow approach has affected the biz.

"Any effort by SAG to drag out these negotiations past June 30 would be a disservice to the people in this industry whose livelihoods are being put on hold," the AMPTP said. "SAG's inability to close this deal has already put the industry into another de facto strike, limiting the greenlighting of features and disrupting pilot production.

 

[Lighthouse]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987582.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

Strike talk has majors hitting brakes
Studios, networks making contingency plans
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, DAVE MCNARY
Paralysis is fast setting in.

Just as the scripted TV biz was starting to get out from under the upheaval caused by the writers strike, the threat of a work stoppage by actors has studios and nets making contingency plans for the upcoming season.

The majors are putting the brakes on production starts for features and TV pilots for fear that the Screen Actors Guild will call a strike following the June 30 expiration date of its feature-primetime deal. A few pics now shooting, such as “Angels and Demons” and “Transformers 2,” have a built-in hiatus next month; the next batch of tentpole features, including “2012,” “Prince of Persia” and “Nottingham,” won’t start until late summer as a hedge against the labor strife likely to play out in July.

The key date for the studio decisionmaking has now become July 7, when AFTRA should announce the results of its ratification vote on its primetime deal. Contract negotiations between SAG and the majors aren’t expected to lead to a deal before then — because SAG has tied its fortunes to defeating the pact reached by rival actors union AFTRA, which has 44,000 dual members with SAG. The guild has not yet scheduled a strike authorization vote, which would take three weeks to complete and require 75% approval from those voting.

Despite SAG’s efforts, the AFTRA ratification vote is expected to pass. Once the results are announced, the congloms are likely to make a “last, best and final” offer to SAG, leading in short order either to a deal or a possible lockout by the companies. Though the lockout strategy is risky for the congloms from a PR standpoint, taking such a step would preempt SAG from pulling the plug later on, with features and series in mid-production, via a strike.

For now, the landscape’s already unsettled in TV — although, in an unintended result of the writers strike, the work stoppage may have helped the nets’ contingency plans for a potential SAG strike. That’s because some shows weren’t brought back in midseason, giving the nets and studios a jump on fall.

As a result, skeins like NBC’s “Heroes” and ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money” were able to start shooting in early May. Several procedural dramas barely took a break before firing things back up in May, including “CSI,” “Without a Trace” and “Cold Case.” Other shows that never really shut down or didn’t power down cameras for long include “House,” “ER,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Chuck” and “Law & Order.” CBS comedy tentpole “Two and a Half Men,” resumed production on Monday, as did the net’s “The Big Bang Theory.”

Then there’s the case of “24,” which skipped a season because of the writers strike, allowing it to bank several episodes for this year. Because “24” won’t return until January, the show could conceivably weather an actors strike without any effect onscreen.

But that’s the exception to the rule. Even shows that started production early will have only a handful of segs in the can before the June 30 deadline. Fox faces a big decision in the next few weeks on whether to forge ahead with plans for a marketing blitz on frosh drama “Fringe,” which has a Sept. 9 preem date for its two-hour pilot. A production start on that show is apparently skedded for early next month.

Cable nets also have several projects in production at the moment, including “Army Wives,” “Saving Grace,” “The Closer” and “Monk.” But those nets can simply move back premiere dates or cut series telecasts short without too much disruption.

A handful of AFTRA series will be able to continue even if SAG goes on strike — depending on the ratification vote. If AFTRA members approve their new contract, Fox’s “ ’Til Death,” CBS’ “Rules of Engagement” and CW’s “Reaper” will be able to continue — unless thesps decide to march with SAG. Given the enmity between the unions, that’s an unlikely prospect.

The latenight gabfests all operate under AFTRA jurisdiction but will have to find a way to book nonactor guests. Bookers on the shows that didn’t receive a Writers Guild of America waiver last winter have already gone through that exercise once this year — and will have to hit the Rolodex once again for politicians, sports stars, musicians, authors and other guests to fill the time.

The idea of a lockout doesn’t sit well with TV execs, who plan to plow ahead with production even after June 30. The goal, after all, is to bank as many episodes before a work stoppage — and a work stoppage would be counterproductive (not to mention a death knell for their fall launches).

At the moment, the projects most impacted by the air of uncertainty are pilots scheduled for shooting in July. In these cases, studios may decide it’s not worth spending the money necessary to prep a pilot only to have to pull the plug in the event of a strike. (There’s no word yet of any pilots having been postponed.)

And though major studio pics will grind to a halt, there’s plenty of activity on the indie feature front. Productions that have obtained a SAG waiver (or guaranteed completion contract) can shoot even if there’s a strike.

SAG signed 312 such deals at last count, including for such high-profile pics as “Bad Lieutenant,” “W,” “Big Eyes,” “Killing Pablo,” “Pandorum,” “Labor Pains,” “Edge of Darkness” and “Brooklyn’s Finest” (Daily Variety, June 2).

Others include the following:

* Endgame’s romantic comedy “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy,” with Jason Sudeikis, Will Forte, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell and Lindsay Sloane. Pic’s currently shooting in North Carolina

* Relativity’s “A Perfect Getaway,” a thriller starring Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich

* Anonymous Content’s “44-Inch Chest,” a drama starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Joanne Whalley and John Hurt

* Lionsgate’s “Shrink,” starring Kevin Spacey, directed by Jonas Pate. Saffron Burrows, Jack Huston, Robin Williams, Robert Loggia, Gore Vidal, Dallas Roberts and Mark Webber also star; shooting’s already started in Los Angeles.

Negotiations between SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers entered their 31st day Monday with neither side commenting, though people close to the bargaining stress that progress has been elusive. Talks are expected to resume today.

AFTRA ballots should be hitting member mailboxes this week. High-profile members endorsing the deal include James Cromwell, Jane Curtin and Sally Field; in addition, AFTRA’s been sending automated phone calls to members with Cromwell urging a yes vote.

SAG’s contended that the AFTRA deal falls short in areas such as new-media jurisdiction and compensation, middle-class actor salaries, DVD residuals, force majeure protections and product-integration protections. Both SAG and AFTRA reps are holding “roadshows” this week at the major talent agencies to brief agents as to their positions.

SAG has also challenged AFTRA to hold a two-hour debate about the AFTRA deal but AFTRA spurned the invite Monday. SAG’s blamed AFTRA’s deal for its lack of progress at the bargaining table, and president Alan Rosenberg said in a letter to AFTRA that a debate would be informative and productive since members are receiving “conflicting information” about the AFTRA agreement and its impact on SAG’s negotiations.

AFTRA prexy Roberta Reardon said SAG’s all wet.

“What is distracting and confusing for our members — and frankly, many in the entertainment industry — are SAG’s efforts to interfere with AFTRA’s ratification process,” she added. “SAG’s misguided rhetoric and theatrics — holding rallies, town hall meetings and the distribution of misinformation about the AFTRA contract — are certainly not serving the best interests of performers.”

In a message to members Monday, AFTRA said, “Don’t be fooled by spin. AFTRA, like the WGA and DGA before it, has negotiated a great agreement that delivers substantial improvements in wages and working conditions for all its members. We’ve done this in the midst of a challenging economic climate, at a moment of rapid and unsettling technological change, in an industry that is still recovering from the economic devastation of a 100-day strike. This is a time for tough-minded realism, not posturing and empty rhetoric. If you vote against ratifying the AFTRA deal, you are essentially voting for chaos in the industry.”

 

[Lighthouse]

Here's some interesting info on what will happen after the deadline.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987625.html?categoryid=13

July may burn SAG, producers
Feature-primetime deal expires June 30th
By DAVE MCNARY
With SAG unlikely to make a deal in the next two weeks, both sides will move on to tricky turf as of July 1, the day after the guild's current feature-primetime deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers expires.

As of July 1, changes for thesps include the following:

* The no-strike no-lockout clause is no longer in effect.

* The union security clause, requiring actors to be under guild jurisdiction, is no longer in effect.

* The grievance and arbitration requirements are suspended, meaning that grievances that are filed can't be arbitrated until a new deal's signed.

Biz insiders say the lack of grievance and arbitration coverage is by far the most significant issue for thesps during a period when there is no guild contract in force.

Although there are no explicit rules governing how the studios and guild should function after a contract expires without the guild going on strike, tradition in union negotiations dictates that SAG actors will continue to work under terms and conditions of the expired contract -- on those productions whose studios have decided to take their chances and not close down amid the uncertainty.

Though neither side has issued any public comment about the negotiations since the verbal sparring last week, those close to the talks have signaled that a resolution is at least a few more weeks away.

SAG has not taken a strike authorization vote, which would require 75% approval and probably a few weeks to get ballots out to 120,000 members. AMPTP companies have not given any sign that they are moving toward locking the actors out, even though such a step would be permissible once the contract expires. In addition, the AMPTP -- the negotiation arm for studios and networks -- has not yet made its "last, best and final" offer.

It's not uncommon for unions to continue negotiations beyond contract deadlines. SAG went four days past the contract deadline in 2001 before making a deal, and the WGA went five months past expiration in 2004 before it finally reach a tentative deal.

Earlier this year, the WGA East closed deals for ABC and CBS news employees more than two years after its old deals expired.

Talks between SAG and the AMPTP were in their 32nd day Tuesday with progress remaining elusive. Meanwhile, SAG has been focused on a campaign against the primetime contract reached by rival union AFTRA, which has some 44,000 overlapping members with SAG.

Results of AFTRA's ratification vote are expected to be announced July 7 or soon thereafter, which makes the week after the Independence Day holiday a pivotal time in the guild talks. Sentiment in the biz is that SAG will lose much of its bargaining leverage if the AFTRA deal is approved by members.

AFTRA's leaders have defended the deal -- pointing to gains in salary minimums and new media -- and characterized SAG as unrealistic in demanding more than the DGA, WGA and AFTRA achieved in their negotiations.

SAG, in a message to the 44,000 members who belong to both unions, has continued to blast away.

"AFTRA's tentative deal -- reached on its own under an artificial deadline six weeks before the conclusion of the contract -- achieves few if any real gains for actors," SAG said.

 

[Lighthouse]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987892.html?categoryid=14&cs=1

SAG, majors break for the weekend
Hollywood doubtful that deadline will be met
By DAVE MCNARY
SAG and the majors have recessed their feature-primetime talks for the weekend, with negotiations set to resume Monday.

Meanwhile, Hollywood is increasingly doubtful that negotiators can reach a deal by the contract expiration date of June 30.

Neither side has commented since last week's volley of accusations blaming each other for the lack of progress.

SAG asserted that the congloms were not moving off any of their positions to match the guild's concessions. The AMPTP accused SAG of stalling in order to fight ratification of union rival AFTRA's primetime deal.

Voting on AFTRA's deal will be completed July 8.

It's expected that the majors will make SAG a last, best and final offer as early as next week (Daily Variety, June 20). That could change if SAG backs away from an array of demands that include an increase in DVD residuals and sweeter terms for new-media residuals than those achieved earlier this year by the DGA, WGA and AFTRA.

Although SAG has yet to ask its members for strike authorization, production is expected to largely cease within the next 10 days. SAG leaders have said they expect to negotiate beyond the June 30 contract expiration.

AFTRA reached its primetime deal on May 28, but SAG has decided that AFTRA's gains are not enough. In an effort to persuade its 44,000 members who also hold AFTRA cards, SAG has campaigned against ratification for the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, congloms suspect that SAG won't negotiate seriously until AFTRA results have been announced. AFTRA split from joint negotiations with SAG in March in a jurisdictional spat over soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful."

SAG has accused AFTRA of selling out members and shilling for companies. The most recent blast belittled gains in the AFTRA deal, saying they amount to less than $5 million over three years and noting that the pact covers less than a dozen shows.

"Screen Actors Guild wants real money in real actors' pockets," it said in an email to members Thursday.

AFTRA shows covered by the deal include "Rules of Engagement," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Flight of the Conchords," "Dante's Cove," "'Til Death" and "Reaper," the new CBS programs "Project Gary" and "Harper's Island" and the ABC comedy pilot "Roman's Empire." The current AFTRA contract also expires June 30.

In an email sent to AFTRA members Friday, national exec director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth issued a spirited defense of the AFTRA deal while ripping SAG on a number of fronts.

Hedgpeth described SAG's anti-ratification efforts as "a disgrace to any observer who believes in the integrity and importance of the labor movement and your rights as union members. The myth has been spread that if you turn down your contract, it does not mean a strike... The notion that one can reject a hard-fought contract, which exceeds industry 'pattern,' without backing it up with the courage of your convictions, is absurd."

SAG's National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen explained, "It is not only appropriate but necessary that we educate our members about how this contract affects them. It would be irresponsible if we did not. The actors involved are our members, working for the same employers, in shows on the same networks."

 

[Lighthouse]

Well, looks like production on pretty much everything is going to stop in a week. Doesn't mean they are on strike, but studios aren't gonna take the chance.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987972.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

SAG ballots due July 8th
Actors to vote on lingering AFTRA crisis
By DAVE MCNARY
The contract expires June 30, but for Screen Actors Guild honchos, D-Day really arrives on July 8.

That's the date when ballots -- worded in obtuse legalese guaranteed to confuse even the most erudite union member -- are due and AFTRA unveils the results of its ratification vote on a primetime deal.

The tallies will show SAG leaders how much (or how little) muscle they can flex. If the ballot shows hefty actors' support behind AFTRA's terms, it weakens SAG's efforts at securing better terms. If it's rejected, that would be a sign that many of the 44,000 actors who belong to both guilds have heeded SAG's call for rejection.

On Monday, SAG and the AMPTP held their 36th day of negotiations, with no reports of progress. Most observers expect that the guild will attempt to prolong the talks until the July 8 announcement of the ratification vote on AFTRA's primetime deal.

Over the weekend, SAG ramped up its anti-AFTRA campaign with automated phone calls from former SAG president Ed Asner asking for a no vote from the 44,000 SAG members while AFTRA added Sally Field and former SAG president William Schallert, in addition to the previously announced Tom Hanks (Daily Variety, June 23), to its list of endorsers.

Meanwhile, production is slowing down.

However, the guild continues to sign more waiver deals with indie producers that allow for features to shoot, even if SAG strikes.

More than 40 productions have signed waivers -- or "guaranteed competion contracts" -- in the past week. The Screen Actors Guild has now signed more than 355 such pacts, in which a production company agrees to adhere to whatever terms SAG negotiates in its new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers.

Only non-AMPTP companies are allowed to sign such deals. The numbers may seem staggering to those who recall the 21 waiver deals that the writers guild signed last fall.

However, the numbers aren't really comparable. The WGA signed waivers with 21 production companies, which allowed those companies (often TV producers) to continue with multiple productions.

The SAG waivers are all for films, and they cover everything from a pic that starts lensing early next month to those that begin shooting many months down the road.

SAG hasn't publicized which producers have signed guaranteed completion contracts, but indies have been continuing to sign.

Some of the more notable indie projects that have signed on so far include "Edge of Darkness," directed by Martin Campbell and starring Mel Gibson; Oliver Stone's George W. Bush drama "W," starring Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks; "My One and Only," starring Renee Zellweger and Chris Noth; "Big Eyes," with Kate Hudson and Thomas Haden Church; "Bad Lieutenant," starring Nicolas Cage; "Labor Pains," starring Lindsay Lohan; and "Brooklyn's Finest," with Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle.

In the meantime, SAG and AFTRA have continued to blast away at each other. SAG's criticized AFTRA's contract agreement on grounds that it falls short in areas such as DVD, new media and force majeure protections; AFTRA's asserted SAG's forcing the industry to shut down and has defended its deal.

SAG has not yet scheduled a strike authorization vote, which would take three weeks to complete and require 75% approval from those voting.

Hollywood production is expected to largely stop next week, except for indie features that have SAG waivers and a few TV pilots (Daily Variety, June 17).