No, this isn’t old news. Just when we thought the potential for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike was over, now there’s word that they’re moving… to vote for a strike! Oh crap, why?! As if we need something like this now.
It all started when SAG sent a letter to top Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to re-start negotiations to get a contract hammered out, but without changing their position on the issues. AMPTP rejected the offer, saying they want a similar deal with SAG that they have with the Writers Guild of America (the WGA, who went on strike in late 2007) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA).
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AMPTP and SAG haven’t had a formal contract since late June 2008, and film and television work has continued while negotiations keep getting stalled over both parties’ terms. I really think and hope that SAG and the AMPTP can come together and hammer out a deal.
A strike will affect all our favorite shows and movies (except reality, *groan*) that feature actors in SAG, which is virtually all of them are in (except indie films, whose producers worked out a deal with SAG). What could happen to upcoming movies like Iron Man 2 and more?
We’ll have more details as they arise. But I’ll say this again, please, SAG and AMPTP! Please come back to the negotiations table and hammer out a deal everyone will agree on. A strike will paralyze the industry, and no one wins.
Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
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30 Comments
With the economy in the toilet I don’t think that the actor’s would get much sympathy from the public many of whom, like myself, are anxious about keeping their jobs. Plus what about the cast of all these shows and movies, they probably haven’t recovered from the writer’s strike yet and now everything costs more and loans are hard to come by, way to ruin their livelyhoods. If the other unions took the deal it can’t be all bad. I think when the studios said last offer they meant it. What are the chances of a 75% for vote?
@fifty8th
I’m with ya. When I read this I thought “you’re kidding, is this STILL not settled?”
There would be ZERO sympathy from the public.
Vic
They got my sympathy and I’m part of the public! You guys and gals really, really need to read Ciulla’s book “The Working Life.” It’s not a lengthy book and if you want to skip some of the history just flip th-ru it to where she starts talking about the 20Th century. Just the simple stats will take you aback. I imagine quite a few employers would hate it, but it also talks about workers and their responsibilities too.
No Sympathy from me. The entertainment business is barely recovering from the writers strike. Im in VFX, and most people are freelance. Its a privlige to work in this business. We are lucky to have jobs. Right now feature work is slow due to the looming strike. No new movies are greenlit or ready to shoot yet. Again the actors may complain and cry foul, yet it eventually comes down to me worrying about my next job. It couldnt happen at a worse time.
I agree with the old man, a strike would have my sympathy as well. I don’t feel the writers got a fair deal, so any agreement modeled on that deal would not be fair, at least in my opinion.
Granted, the timing is lousy, but I don’t feel that’s any reason to accept a rotten deal.
Im coming from a different position. I get no royalties or any special deals. Heck I get no security. The Writer deal wasnt the greatest, but it wasnt the worst either. Unfortunately if you want producer royalties, be a producer. Writers and Actors should be happy they get paid, and get paid very well for the matter. When you become a star, you get the star deals.
There’s too much money to loose.
This will work out.
OMG will these spoiled hollywood people just stop whining PLEASE…
The second they don’t get the peanut butter the way they like it, they go on strike and protest. I swear, protesting is like the national past time for people in big cities…
Ya know, I really LOVE movies and TV, but I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for people who’s goal in life is to “play pretend” for a living and get paid insane amounts of money.
I DON’T think that about the people behind the camera, however, who earn far less yet work far harder.
Vic
Darn, I should learn not to leave comments so late at night. I meant to ask about the crews not casts of all the shows and movies that were screwed the first time only to be potential screwed again. Plus they have to live with the thought it could happen at any time and with less jobs available outside of Hollywood to get as a stand by.
One other thing, now is the time we need entertainment to keep our minds off of what is happening. I look to TV for a break from reality when it is weighing me down at least for an hour and I refuse to look to reality television.
IF THEY GO ON STRIKE I AM DONE WITH MOVIES AND TV. THEY MAKE SO MUCH MONEY AND TO STRIKE WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOSING EVERYTHING WHEN THEY MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THEN THE HELL WITH THEM. GO ON STRIKE SEE HOW FAST ALL OF YOUR CAREERS FALL OUT
heath
“I believe the vast majority of SAG members aren’t full-time actors.”
And this is the reason I would support the strike. There are members who don’t get the big bucks who would not be getting a fair deal under an agreement modeled the WGA agreement. They deserve better.
The timing may be horrible, but caving in now will likely only hurt them further down the line.
Heres my feeling. Yeah they want a better deal. I can see that. But heres the other bigger issue. Timing is everything. Right now if they go on strike, much more support people, camera people, crew and other businesses that make money off these people will be crippled by the pissing contest between SAG and the producers. The producers are willing to give them the WGA deal, and they should take it. This town was in bad shape because of that strike, and it will get worse. Most people in WGA and SAG are waiters, bartenders or other normal everday jobs. They should be happy to break in this business. Everyone has to make concessions now. We all are getting less money. Unfortunately when your livelyhood is dependent on studios and production, it who has the money makes the rules. Until someone works their way into money and power, you get what you can take and be thankful your working, working in this town and not have to work a “Real” job. The union should at least sign a short-term contract so this town can recover and put people to work. Nothing has been greenlit for months, and the work is stagnant. The actors shouldnt ge so selfish and feel only about THEIR livelyhoods. THey should take it for the team and STFU for a year. When the business recovers a bit, they can start a new contract.
A strike will cripple the industry. Look at all the other people who depend on the industry, like crews, caterers, etc.
heath
One of the problems of a lot of the members being part time actors they may vote for a strike because it does not effect them day to day. At one point those against the strike were trying to get some condition in there that would only have working actors be able to vote or something like that.
I sympathize with those who will be hurt by the strike, and I’ve already agreed the timing is bad.
That does not make a bad deal for SAG any better, though. It only makes it harder for them to get the deal they deserve later on down the line. The AMPTP will get the win they want, it will make it harder for SAG to get a good deal the next time contract negotiations come about, and possibly only result in a delay of the strike, which could make that eventual strike even worse than this one.
Better to do what it takes to get a good deal now than risk setting up an even worse confrontation later. At least in my opinion.
It’s interesting to note who lays all the blame on the actors. I thought when you came to the bargaining table there were Two parties involved! It’s not like their has been a work stoppage for the last few months even after talks broke down.
There no “stoppage”, but theres no new work. Its pretty slow in this town. Everything else has filmed or is finishing right now. No one wants to greenlight a project if theres a strike in the middle of it. Nothing new was shot during the writers strike. Again I guarantee you most WORKING actors dont want to strike and they would take the deal. There are working actors that could lose their houses and not pay their bills if a strike happens. The non-working ones wait tables at night, and strike during the day because they have nothing better to do.
Agreed, and good point. The actors have kept working even without a contract, and the AMPTP are still unwilling to budge. If the actors look bad for simply considering a strike, just for not taking it off the table, how can the producers look any better?
I guess I feel the actors look bad because they won’t take what the writer’s, director’s and another acting guild’s will. That and they tried to undermined the other actor’s guild when they wanted to do their own deal. You know it’s not even most of the actors, it is the SAG leadership.
Fifty8th- Your totally on the ball here. These Unions have really Hard Core leaderships running them. Even alot of the writers didnt want to strike. SAGs current leadership is really aggressive and strike ready.. Its unfortunate. I hope their constituents oppose their leadership and make a sound decision.
I hate unions. Don’t get me started…
Ken, your preaching to the choir…
bperlow:” No one wants to greenlight a project if theres a strike in the middle of it”
Exactly, and what does that say about the intentions of the companies? While the workers are willing to work the companies take advantage of it and finish off the remaining work all the while intending to starve and stifle any resistance to acquiescence. See you can look at from both ways. SAG isn’t the lone guilty party. If anything there’s bad faith on both sides. It’s just the reality of this kind of work. For those who didn’t realize this, you should rethink your careers. You did take career management right?
You know, it will probably happen.
If SAG strikes, it will only last a week.
The studios know they are making a ton of money in this depression. The box office is still healthy. SAG knows this.
SAG is in the perfect catbird seat.
The movie studios will end up signing the SAG agreement.
I think if it happens it will last longer than a week, the studios are playing hardball because it is not just movie studios it is TV and they are not doing as well.
Some very smart people suggest that SAG and the Producers take the remaining issues to binding non-appealable arbitration. This way we will not suffer another multi-billion dollar loss to our workers and vendors and the public will get to see the movies and television they need in these dreary days of financial ruination.
Many billion dollar conflicts are solved by arbitration. Why not this one?
SAG has everything to win and the studios have everything to lose.
Most SAG actors want to strike because they aren’t fooled by the studio strategy.
Movie Studios = Lehman Bros.
The studios are GREEDY, GREEDY, GREEDY
SAG really and truly needs to get over themselves. I say this as a person who has worked in the industry since my Junior year in high school. People barely made it through the writers strike, it took a tole on me and many of my friends who have been in the industry longer than I. Yes, it sucks that they don’t get royalties but neither do any other crew on the set, and we work just as hard if not harder than actors, we’re there at least an hour before cast and not done until break down. I completely agree with bperlow if you want producer perks become a producer.
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