Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

What's next? Camera operators threaten to strike? Sound department? Editors? Make-up? Wardrobe? Gophers (assistants that go for coffee, etc.)?
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

well looking at the post strike tv ratings, they can't afford another strike. Hollywood needs a good dose of reality...
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Things are not looking too promising according to this article on Yahoo news

Actors not expected to OK contract by deadline

By Leslie Simmons Fri Jun 13, 12:06 AM ET

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Chances for a Hollywood actors deal by a June 30 deadline grew considerably slimmer Thursday.

In a three-page update on film and TV contract talks with the Screen Actors Guild, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) told 350 member companies its negotiators are "frustrated and discouraged (that) SAG's Hollywood leadership is already saying that it's unlikely a deal will be made by June 30."

Separately, SAG national executive director Doug Allen emailed the Associated Press to say that guild officials were hoping for an agreement soon but were prepared to keep negotiating into July. That seemed to signal a willingness to work under an extension of the current contract -- which expires at month's end -- and, indeed, SAG has yet to call for a strike authorization vote.

A call for strike authorization would have to pass with a 75 percent majority and even then wouldn't necessarily trigger an immediate work stoppage.

For now, the AMPTP seemed to suggest that SAG negotiators are on the wrong track in the ongoing talks. It listed three chief gripes with the guild's approach to the contract talks:

* stating a willingness to work with a template for new-media compensation established during prior negotiations with the Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America, but then proposing "many changes to the framework."

* demanding "increases in traditional media compensation that would result in enormous additional financial burdens."

* staging "rallies, meetings and events ... often during hours that are usually reserved for negotiations."

In each case, AMPTP took care to attribute the troubling guild stances to "SAG's Hollywood leadership." This seemed a not-so-subtle way of noting that SAG's New York division and occasionally other branches have been at odds with Allen and SAG president Alan Rosenberg over the Hollywood-based leaders' perceived militant stance during the talks.

EAST-WEST DIVIDE

New York-based SAG directors criticized the guild's use of a Monday rally to urge dual cardholders -- actors who belong to both SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a smaller union -- to vote against AFTRA's tentative TV contract deal with the AMPTP.

SAG and AFTRA have been locking horns since before the negotiations began. The fighting escalated when AFTRA suspended its 27-year-old joint bargaining agreement with SAG for their primetime/TV contract and negotiated on its own with the

AMPTP.

"Unfortunately, these sideshows -- distractions which SAG's Hollywood leaders appear committed to perpetuating -- will not help our industry reach our fifth 2008 labor agreement by June 30," the AMPTP said in its first public communication with members since resuming talks with SAG on May 28.

SAG was first to the bargaining table, on April 15, and initially had two weeks to negotiate before AFTRA was set to begin its talks, but AFTRA twice agreed to let SAG continue with its negotiations. When SAG asked to extend its start date a third time, AFTRA refused.

That ended SAG's first half of the negotiations on May 6, with AFTRA starting talks May 7. AFTRA reached a deal with the AMPTP on May 28, and SAG went back to the table the same day.

"SAG's inability to close this deal has already put the industry into another de facto strike, limiting the green-lighting of features and disrupting pilot production," the AMPTP said. "Unfortunately, SAG's Hollywood leadership and its allies continue to express a cavalier attitude about the consequences of a potential strike for below-the-line workers, SAG's own members and its sister guilds in particular and our economy in general."

Some on the studio side believe SAG wants to stretch its negotiations with the AMPTP beyond June 30 so that guild officials can see the results of AFTRA's contract ratification vote on July 9.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

So they're actually going to do this. They're actually going to strike. And from where I'm sitting, it kinda looks like that's been their goal the whole time. Greedy bastards. They just wanna one up the writers. Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again; they're not gonna get the sympathy of the viewers this time around. This is gonna backfire on them.

I know the article says that there wouldn't necessarily be an immediate work stoppage if a deal isn't reached by June 30th, but it doesn't elaborate. Does anyone know what that means? Who would get to keep working? Would the writers keep writing even though there were no actors to protray what they wrote, like the actors kept acting when the writers stopped writing?
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

The fact that they haven't looked for a strike authorization vote is the only thing that gives me hope that they'll see sense.

Regarding 'no immediate work stoppage', I'm guessing that that means that the actors will keep working until an official strike is called. Which means that production won't stop. Except that a lot of production, mainly films, will have already stopped by then or simply not started. A lot of TV shows have filmed extra episodes already, so as to have a head start if the strike overlaps with their usual summer start date. But I've heard that some movies have simply postponed production so as not to be stuck half finished.

As for writers, it'll depend on their contracts and what the studios want them to do. The writers will likely keep writing as long as there's the possibility of getting back to work, but they probably won't want to build up too big a stash of scripts, otherwise they'd be writing themselves out of a job!

I think the actors would have more support for a strike if the writers hadn't already had theirs. But as it is, surely the head guys at the SAG can't be so stupid that they think they'll have public support for a second strike in a year?
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

The fallout from the writers strike in America continues as a third Canadian series has been picked up by a major American network.

Sun Media reports that The Last Templar, a Global mini-series, is set to air on NBC in December of this year, simulcasting with the four-hour series' debut in Canada.

The mini-series stars Mira Sorvino and Victor Garber and is based on Raymond Khoury's best-selling book. Shooting is set to begin in Montreal next month.

"Global is thrilled to bring this incredible story to Canadian audiences and delighted that Americans will also have the chance to see it on NBC," Barbara Williams, executive vice-president of content for Canwest Broadcasting, said in a statement.

Earlier this year is was announced that the CTV series Flashpoint and The Listener had been sold to ABC and CBS.
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Well, at least we are benefiting from this.
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

it looks like they are just trying a scare-tactic on AMPTP. threatening to strike during negotiations is one thing, but going public with it has more strength.

right now i'm tired of all this, and i'm starting to not care about it anymore. the shows will air? ok, i may watch some. there won't be any? oh well, whatever. i think more and more people think this way especially when the times of shows being watched religiously are slowly passing. nobody is going nuts for them anymore, and if they continue to piss people off like this, they're not gonna earn much money anyway. i'm just saying.
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

They just came back from a strike, now we gotta deal with another impending strike? great, just great.
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Here are a few more links, Strikes stink, but I am siding with the ever "there is middle ground" George Clooney, he seems to really want everyone to figured and worked out.

Source: Yahoo.com
June 26: George Clooney Offers Two Cents to SAG, AFTRA
June 29: Strike 2? Hollywood braces for actor walkout
June 30: Strike Deadline Looms for Hollywood Actors
June 30: SAG president doesn't want to hear strike talk

Source: TvGuide.com
Strike Watch: As Midnight Deadline Looms, SAG Prez Downplays Walkout Talks

Source: LaTimes.com
Screen Actors Guild aims to thwart AFTRA contract with studios
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Well I'm not sure what this will mean but I am thinking it is not good for what SAG wants.
AFTRA ratifies contract
TV, radio performers ratify Hollywood labor deal

36 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The smaller of Hollywood's two performers unions said on Tuesday that its members have ratified a new prime-time TV contract, undermining a last-ditch bid by the larger, more militant Screen Actors Guild to secure a richer deal.

The labor pact covering 70,000 members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists won final approval despite an all-out campaign by SAG urging some 40,000 actors who belong to both unions to vote down the AFTRA accord.

Reuters/Nielsen
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Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

signing a deal by AFTRA might not be the best news for SAG but it's a step forward in this whole issue. as much as i want the actors to get what they want, i'm glad the end of negotiations is slowly showing itself on the horizon.
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Hmm it does not look like this thing is ending any time soon now.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080727/en_nm/actors_hollywood_dc_1

Screen Actors board backs negotiators on new media

2 hours, 7 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The board of the major union for U.S. film and television actors has backed its negotiators' demands to cover Internet-related work, signaling that contract talks with Hollywood's studios may remain stalled for weeks.

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In talks that reached a stalemate this month, negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild, representing 120,000 performers, have demanded that work distributed on the Internet be covered by a SAG contract, and late on Saturday SAG's national board voted 68-0 in favor of a resolution reaffirming that idea.
"We have been telling the industry how important it is for all new media productions under our contract to be done union, and how important residuals (fees) for made-for new media programming are when programs are re-run on new media," SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen, said in a statement.
"I am very pleased that our National Board today unanimously confirmed these essential principles in support of our National Negotiating Committee," Allen said.
SAG's National Board of Directors adopted the resolution stating a "core principle" of the guild is that "no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any (SAG) agreement and that all work under a (SAG) contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused."
The statement said the resolution "represents guidance" from the National Board to the contract negotiators.
Those negotiators came under fire last week when a rival faction within SAG launched a campaign to wrest control from leaders they blame for the stalemated contract talks.
A bloc of SAG members calling itself Unite for Strength unveiled a slate of candidates who will seek to gain a majority on the national governing board in elections set for September 18.
Industry watchers said the challenge meant the roughly four-week-old standoff between the union and studios would drag on, and the board's vote strengthened that idea.
The old SAG contract expired hours after the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, presented SAG with a "final" offer on June 30. SAG countered with a new proposal on July 10, but the studios refused to budge, insisting they were done negotiating.
Late Saturday, the AMPTP issued a statement saying the refusal of SAG's negotiators to accept AMPTP's final offer means "actors will continue to work indefinitely under the expired contract."
A SAG spokeswoman said there were no new developments on Sunday, while the AMPTP posted on its Web site a tabulation of wages lost by SAG members because they have not taken the AMPTP's final offer, which calls for some wage increases.
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Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Studios, Actors To Meet For More Negotiations

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― The Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood studios plan to hold their first contract talks in four months tomorrow and will negotiate this time with the help of a federal mediator.

Expectations for a deal to be struck are low.

Some observers expect the talks to be a formality before the guild asks its members for a strike authorization vote before the awards season early next year.

Tomorrow's face-to-face meeting will include SAG's chief negotiator, Doug Allen, and J. Nicholas Counter III, lead bargainer for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

It comes after weeks of shuttle diplomacy by federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez, who has met with each side separately.

Both sides have declined to comment ahead of the meeting.
Click to expand...
From http://cbs2.com/entertainment/Studios.Actors.Negotiations.2.868732.html
 
Re: Directors/Writers/SAG Contracts & The Effects

Gee round 30? I've lost count. Anyway snip from all three..

"The Screen Actors Guild said today it will ask its members to authorize a strike after its first contract talks in four months with Hollywood studios failed despite the help of a federal mediator."

"SAG is seeking union coverage for all Internet-only productions regardless of budget and residual payments for Internet productions replayed online, as well as continued actor protections during work stoppages. But the AMPTP said it was untenable for SAG to demand a better deal than what writers, directors and another actors union accepted earlier in the year, especially now that the economy has worsened."

You can read the rest at any of three links below.

"Actors Guild Pushes for Strike as Talks with Hollywood Studios Fail" - From Foxnews.
"Hollywood actors guild to seek strike" - From Yahoo News.
"Hollywood actors guild to seek strike" - From LA Times.

"SAG, AMPTP talks fail: actors' strike coming?" - From EW.com

Excerpt from EW.com link: "Critical issues unique to actors remain in dispute," according to a union statement. "We have already made difficult decisions and sacrifices in an attempt to reach an agreement. Now it's time for the SAG members to stand united and empower the national negotiating committee to bargain with the strength of a possible work stoppage behind them."

Given the country's deepening recession, it seems unlikely the membership would favor another crippling strike—especially going into awards season. Another work stoppage could result in the cancellation of the Golden Globes, which was already reduced to a cheesy press conference earlier this year because of the 100-day writers' strike. No timeline has been set for the mailing or return of strike authorization ballots."
 
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