SAG Getting Ready to Strike?
Monday November 24, 2008
Can Hollywood sustain yet another industry crippling strike? In these economic times, can any industry spare several billion dollars? The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has decided to pursue a strike authorization vote from their membership.
The SAG and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) spent two days in federal mediation, however the hotly debated issues concerning jurisdiction over shows created for the Internet and how actors should be paid for Internet distribution continue to broaden the gap between the two parties.
The SAG issued a statement to its 120,000+ members....[Read the entire release]
"Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members. As previously authorized by the National Board of Directors, we will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum.Let the mudslinging begin -- Naturally, the AMPTP quickly fired back at the SAG....
We remain committed to avoiding a strike but now more than ever we cannot allow our employers to experiment with our careers."
"The mediation failed for one fundamental reason: SAG continued unrealistically to insist on a substantially better deal than all of the other major Hollywood Guilds and Unions have negotiated so far in 2008. SAG should understand that a strike would be economically devastating to the entire industry, including its own members, as well as to the overall economy.In order for a strike to be authorized, 75% of the [voting] membership must give their approval, but the board does have the final say. Will the actors strike? Will the Golden Globes suffer the same fate as it did earlier this year during the writers strike? What will happen to the remainder of the television season? Let's keep our fingers crossed -- it could be another long, cold winter.
The unreal timing of the call by SAG for a strike in the midst of one of the worst economic crisis the global system has ever faced, demonstrates once and for all that SAG is completely out of touch with reality."
Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Comments
If the actors go out, I hope that the mass exodus we are seeing from people who formally watched a lot of network TV, increases dramatically and that they never return. It is very difficult to have any sympathy for a bunch of overpaid, overexposed prima donnas. Go out folks–and see if anyone gives a hoot.
You ought to look at the following short video produced in Cologne, Germany by TV Star Andreas Stenschke. It points to what is at stake for writers, actors and directors regarding the potential loss of income when reruns of TV shows and movies go to the Internet rather than on cable and broadcast TV, where they currently show. It is particularly relevant as the Writers Guild is now in a battle with the AMPTP over their reneging of the Internet residual formula agreed to at the end of the strike in February. Link to the video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PPZV3dTzbg
The Europeans’ (and other international artists) situation is absurd and the AMPTP producers and networks would like nothing more than to remake that as their modus operandi on our shores as well.