Raise your hand if you saw this one coming. The prospects for another strike went up as negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) once again broke down, with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) moving to negotiations with AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists). Among the issues causing the split, and stop me if you've heard this one before, DVD residuals, streaming, and new media. Go figure. One new wrinkle in these negotiations comes in the form of an AMPTP provision that would give them free and unlimited use of short clips of an actor's work in movies and television.
As you would expect, the two sides have wildly different versions of how things are going. You can read both of the official statements over at Deadline Hollywood Daily. The thumbnail sketches look like this: SAG contends that they have negotiated in good faith, modifying their proposals in an effort to reach a fair contract for their members, but the AMPTP has offered only a few modifications to its new media proposal. On the other hand, the AMPTP contends that they have made compromises and concessions, but SAG negotiators continue to insist on unreasonable demands in traditional and new media. Yikes. The contract expires on June 30th, and I don't think anyone is exactly confident that a deal will be done by then.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-07-2008 @ 10:39AM
Franklin said...
No matter which side "wins" in this, we the viewers lose...again.
I'm sure there's some legitimate issues that need to be addressed, but another strike right on the heels of the last one is a killer.
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5-07-2008 @ 12:17PM
Dave said...
When writing an article, can you please tell us what these initials stand for.
the AMPTP moving to negotiations with AFTRA
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5-07-2008 @ 12:21PM
Brett said...
No problem Dave. I've updated the post to include that.
5-07-2008 @ 12:49PM
Jeff N. said...
Another strike would be so stupid on so many levels. But we are talking giant egos here.
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5-07-2008 @ 1:56PM
Jimmy said...
The AMPTP needs to get some new material, this is like the writers' strike redux. Unfortunately, I don't think SAG has the support among its members for a prolonged strike, which will make their ability to negotiate a fair deal more difficult.
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5-07-2008 @ 4:18PM
charly s. said...
I think it is such a waste. These actors egos rule them instead of the other way around. I say fire them and put new actors in their places. There are over 200 million people in the U.S. and many actors known today never had acting training but were picked off the street. Let's do some more and tell the SAG union to eat your dust!
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5-07-2008 @ 11:31PM
Phish said...
this is capitalism gone haywire. unions are supposed to protect labourers and workers from being overworked, underpaid by employers.
i really dont see how that is applied to actors in this day and age? i really dont. how are they overworked or underpaid? becoming an actor is purely by choice. i understand factory workers or coal miners are usually born into the job in disadvantaged areas, and they REALLY need unions, but actors? give me a fvcking break!
this is beyond ridiculous and everyone involved should be ashamed! the power of supply and demand should be the determining factor in this case, not union rules!
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