Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Information...

SAG to negotiate with AFTRA
Both parties hope to renew feature/TV contract
By DAVE MCNARY

SAG has called off its divorce with the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, asserting it's returning to the usual joint bargaining at upcoming negotiations on a new film-TV contract.

The development, announced Saturday evening, should calm Hollywood fears that SAG is headed toward a strike when its contract expires June 30. SAG has been the WGA's biggest strike ally, so its teaming with AFTRA -- which tends to be far less assertive than SAG -- will be greeted with cheer by the majors.

Still, the re-marriage may not take, with AFTRA's president complaining that SAG still hasn't done enough to repair the relationship.

SAG made the move a week after AFTRA threatened to get in front of SAG via a separate primetime negotiation in early March, undercutting SAG's potential leverage.

"We are confident that these actions will pave the way for Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA to jointly negotiate improvements for all actors working under SAG and AFTRA contracts," SAG president Alan Rosenberg said. "Screen Actors Guild's objective remains to negotiate the best wages and working conditions for all actors. We look forward to speaking with a unified voice when we face our employers across the table."

Negotiations on a new deal for actors have not been set, but AFTRA's leaders have indicated that they expect both unions to be ready to start talks by March 31. The SAG-AFTRA contract covers feature and primetime TV work, with AFTRA covering a handful of shows.

SAG national exec director Doug Allen said Saturday that AFTRA has indicated it will be willing to be a partner agin.

"Despite the fact that AFTRA announced its intention to enter early negotiations on primetime television provisions on its own, they have recently signaled that they are ready, willing and able to work together with Screen Actors Guild in the best interests of actors," he added.

But the reconciliation of SAG and AFTRA -- under the terms of the 1981 "Phase One" agreement -- may still hit a stumbling block. In a move typical of the sour relationship between the performers' unions, AFTRA president Roberta Reardon responded by saying SAG had not gone far enough in returning as a joint bargaining partner with AFTRA.

Reardon complained that SAG had added "new and ambiguous" conditions to the partnership that made AFTRA leaders question whether SAG is committed to the Phase One process.

As part of their action Saturday, SAG's national board pulled the plug on plans for a referendum that would have sought member approval for SAG to negotiate without AFTRA. But the vote, backed by 86% of the board, included the provision that ditching the referendum depended on talks with AFTRA toppers that would provide that neither union can undercut the other by offering low-ball terms.

That's been a massive sore point between the unions in recent years as AFTRA signs up cable shows at lower initial terms than SAG, such as free exhibition days, and has provoked accusations by SAG that AFTRA is shilling for producers. AFTRA has insisted that it has the right make such deals and contends its contracts pay actors more over the long term and keep producers from going non-union.

SAG's board also passed a resolution Saturday to rescind bloc voting by its members on the negotiating committee, noting that the provision represented an impediment to reaching agreement with AFTRA. SAG had approved bloc voting last year after AFTRA repeatedly refused to reduce its 50-50 representation despite contributing less than 10% of earnings; that move provoked AFTRA to declare that Phase One had been abrogated and that it could negotiate its own deals with the AMPTP.

In a letter sent Friday to Reardon and national exec director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, the SAG leaders said dual cardholders have been seeking answers as to whether the unions will be seeking similar terms and whether either union will offer lesser terms once those deals are concluded. Rosenberg and Allen said they're still willing to negotiate jointly with AFTRA.

"We further pledge that SAG will not modify the resulting contract for signatories without AFTRA's approval," they added. "Will AFTRA make the same pledge: to negotiate together with SAG from one package of proposals and together reach agreement with the AMPTP and further, that AFTRA will not modify the resulting contract for signatories at lesser terms without Screen Actors Guild approval?"

Hedgpeth told SAG on Friday that she's still hoping the performers' unions don't have to get a divorce. She said discussions earlier in the week between union officials led her to assert that AFTRA would still be willing to negotiate with SAG rather than going it alone.

"AFTRA is committed to Phase One as it was originally conceived and practiced since 1981," she wrote to Allen. "AFTRA wants to support SAG in its potential return to Phase One."

On Sunday, in reaction to the SAG vote, Reardon said, "We hope conversations in the coming days will provide clarity about whether SAG does in fact plan to return to Phase One in its original form."

It's also possible the AFL-CIO's recent move to grant AFTRA a direct charter could signal that the AFL-CIO could step in to mediate the long-running jurisdictional dispute.

Members outside Hollywood have disagreed on the AFTRA issue with Allen, Rosenberg and the Membership First faction that controls the SAG board. New York SAG president Sam Freed blasted the duo in a statement Sunday.

"Membership First's gross miscalculation has forced them to retreat from their belligerent position of ending rather than strengthening our relationship with our sister union," he said. "Alan Rosenberg, Doug Allen and their Membership First allies have wasted 10 months and precious guild resources, including our reputation with the industry, when we should have used that time preparing for the most important negotiations in a generation. Valuable time has been lost but it is not too late to direct our energies so that we can begin negotiations immediately and truly protect the most important interests of our members."

SAG has about 120,000 members, while AFTRA has 70,000; about 40,000 thesps are dual cardholders.

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SAGs Website
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News is down on the left side

Another article
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suzyquzy says: Below is a paragraph from article in Variety:

SAG engaged in saber-rattling last week by insisting it would not automatically accept the terms of the WGA and DGA deals though the traditional "pattern" bargaining. That's a signal that the negotiations will probably require the involvement of moguls
such as News Corp.'s Peter Chernin and Disney's Robert Iger-- as was the case in the DGA and WGA talks.

IMO the writers accepted something that the SAG members do not find acceptable for them. Whether the gentlemen that negotiated the writers deal can pull another one off that will satisfy the actors guilds is the question. I hope they bargain now instead of waiting till their contract expires on June 30th.

Sorry it's taking me so long to respond but my area is under bad weather watches and warnings and the noaa weather radio screams at me almost constantly.

If SAG should heavens forbid strike; Bones would pretty much be back where it has been since November. That is why the decisions the networks make about use of the back to work writers is important.

suzyquzy says: Clooney, Hanks and more urge Screen Actors to begin
early conract negotiations.

Clooney, Hanks & Co.: No Strike Rerun
By Gina Serpe
Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:25:49 AM PST


Ordinarily, the banding together of George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro would be a producers' dream. But the A-list foursome's latest group project may not be exactly what Hollywood had in mind.

The influential thesps—Oscar winners all—have teamed up to urge the Screen Actors Guild to begin early contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to avoid another Industry-debilitating work stoppage. The actors' union's contract with producers is set to expire June 30.

In full-page advertisements in the Industry trade papers Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, the superstar four addressed their 120,000 or so peers in the guild.

"As proud members of SAG, we have seen the effect of a long-running strike on our community," the ad reads. "Now that the writers have agreed to a deal, our hope is to get people back to work."

The ad, which ends with the stars' names, continues: "Issues are important...Nothing can be solved until both parties agree to sit down together...There is too much at stake to wait."

The actors' call to fast-track the often excruciating negotiation process comes in the wake of the 100-day strike by the Writers Guild of America, which SAG wholeheartedly supported. While the scribes formally settled this week, several major studios have put feature development on hold until a new contract is worked out with SAG. Filmmakers are wary about ramping up production on projects only to have another labor dispute force a shutdown.

On Wednesday, SAG executive director Doug Allen spoke out on the state of the thus far nonexistent negotiations with the AMPTP. "Our ongoing member outreach has included, and will continue to include, conversations with high-profile television and movie actors," and the guild "will bargain with management at a time that will most benefit our members."

That time, apparently, is March, when leaders from both SAG and fellow performing guild AFTRA, the 70,000-strong American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, have indicated they would jointly begin negotiations. More than half of AFTRA's members also belong to SAG.

Meanwhile, another contingent of actors is coming together to lobby for new restrictions on just who among their ranks should be able to vote on whether contract terms, once offered, are deemed acceptable. As it is, all card-carrying members are eligible to vote, but a new group claims that only those who earn their living by acting—roughly one-third of the guild's members—should be able to decide whether or not to strike.

Some 900 actors, including Ben Affleck, Sally Field and Diane Lane, have signed a letter circulated around the SAG community asking the guild to consider the qualified voting. Per the Los Angeles Times, the guild has agreed to meet with actor Ned Vaughn, who has appeared on 24 and Cane and who circulated the letter, as well as a handful of those actors who support the measure, sometime next week.

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suzyquzy says: another article

Brace yourselves for a possible actors strike

Posted Mar 5th 2008 11:05AM by Allison Waldman

Have you seen all those feel-good commercials on CBS showing the actors returning to work after the WGA strike, the message promising us that good times -- and fresh new episodes -- would soon be on the air? Well, here comes the cold shower. The big story this morning out of L.A. is that Hollywood is shaking with fear that the actors will strike this summer if a new contract isn't hammered out before June 30.

Big names like George Clooney and Tom Hanks have been quietly urging Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg to commence negotiations now in hopes of averting another contentious battle. Even AFTRA (SAG's sister organization, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) reportedly wants to start formal talks.

Rosenberg, who won the presidency of his union by promising to be a tough negotiator, says the guild will not be prepared to open official talks until April. However, in a February 28 memo, Rosenberg did say some behind the scenes chats are taking place. We can only hope that they're doing more than just chatting and that something substantive is happening so that when the formal talks do begin, an agreement can be reached before the June deadline is reached.

Complicating matters is a petition signed by 1,000 guild members that was sent to Rosenberg which would put conditions on who gets to vote for a settlement deal; that is, only actors who've logged in enough working days over the past six years.

From a viewer's standpoint, another strike in Hollywood would be a disaster. It doesn't matter to us that the 120,000 guild members are ticked off about forced commercial product placement in their television and film work -- and their not being paid for those endorsements.

We want the SAG to get to the table and get the issues ironed out. Another protracted work stoppage that's a fight for pennies, winds up costing millions, and it's anathema to entertainment. Remember the old adage, actors, the show must go on. Before you organize a picket line, keep that in mind. Sure, negotiate hard for your fair share; just don't push it to a strike, please.

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from suzyquzy: The two actor's guilds split and will not negotiate together.Comments from both sides below

Los Angeles (March 29, 2008) – AFTRA President Roberta Reardon and AFTRA national officers, including Susan Boyd Joyce, Denny Delk, Bob Edwards, Matt Kimbrough and Shelby Scott, as well as others, upon conclusion of their national meeting, entered Screen Actors Guild's national board meeting today and reported their board's effective termination of the Phase One agreement between the two unions. The AFTRA representatives declared that they will not negotiate jointly with SAG on behalf of the TV/Theatrical Contract, including their Exhibit A.

SAG President Alan Rosenberg said, "We remain focused on negotiating the best terms for actors covered by the TV/Theatrical Contract. We spent weeks working with our fellow actors in AFTRA on joint proposals to improve the lives of all working actors. AFTRA's refusal now to bargain together with us and their last-second abandonment of the joint process is calculated, cynical and may serve the interests of their institution, but not its members."


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from suzyquzy: according to Variety it could get really ugly

AFTRA goes its own way
Org has divorced SAG
By DAVE MCNARY

Muddying the town's labor outlook, AFTRA has divorced SAG and carried through on its threat to negotiate a separate deal with the majors on its primetime TV shows.

AFTRA's surprise decision, announced Saturday afternoon amid a welter of venomous accusations, means its contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will launch as early as this week.

Given what AFTRA prexy Roberta Reardon described as a long line of attempts to smear the union, she said the last straw came from SAG's alleged efforts to take over jurisdiction of soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." Rescinding its decision, Reardon added, is out of the question.

"We can't trust SAG," she added. "Their leaders have engaged in a concerted effort to tarnish AFTRA's reputation and diminish our standing."

SAG president Alan Rosenberg described AFTRA's move as a long-planned power grab to sell out actors by offering low-ball contracts.

"I think what AFTRA's done is unconscionable, and I'm sick of getting lectures about trust from them," he declared. "I'm furious about what they've done."

Responding Saturday, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said it was pleased that AFTRA is ready to negotiate but did not mention SAG. And the AMPTP noted that it had told the actors unions seven weeks ago that it was ready to start negotiations.

There's little doubt that the congloms will make a quick deal with the more moderate AFTRA -- which covers only four TV shows and no film work under the feature-primetime contract -- in order to pressure SAG to agree to similar terms without resorting to a strike once the current pact expires June 30.

SAG national exec director Doug Allen told Daily Variety that SAG should go first since it covers 98% of the earnings under the contract. He also said he plans to talk today with the AMPTP about a timeline.
More than one option

But Allen's likely to be brushed off since the majors are wary of SAG on several fronts. The guild was a vociferous backer of the WGA strike, and informal talks between SAG toppers and key moguls -- News Corp. president Peter Chernin and Disney honcho Robert Iger -- have been characterized by sources as unproductive, with no headway made.

The respective AFTRA and SAG national boards both approved the final bargaining proposal Saturday, which had been hammered out over the past months in meetings with members.

Rosenberg acknowledged in an interview Sunday that many are convinced the guild wants to go on strike and reiterated earlier statements to defuse that belief.

"Nobody wants a strike, and it's way too early to conclude that we're heading that way," he said. "I want to make a good deal because actors need a good deal."

Rosenberg made it clear again Sunday that SAG believes actors need to improve on the recent deals reached by the DGA and WGA earlier this year.

AFTRA's move suspends the 27-year Phase One joint bargaining partnership and reflects the ongoing bitterness between leaders of the performing unions.

Several execs expressed astonishment over the split with SAG, which came after both unions had appeared in recent few weeks to put aside their differences in the name of presenting a united front at the bargaining table.

The unions had been scheduled to give final approval Saturday to a contract proposal to the AMPTP at a joint board meeting. Had that happened, informal talks between the majors and both unions would have started over the next few days.

Instead, AFTRA voted at its Saturday morning board meeting to suspend Phase One, citing what Reardon said was a SAG-led effort to seek jurisdiction over soap operas starting with a "raid" on "The Bold and the Beautiful."

Several thesps on the show, angered over what they perceive as lesser AFTRA terms, have moved to decertify AFTRA as the bargaining rep. AFTRA leaders were incensed over the fact that Allen and Rosenberg met with cast member Susan Flannery about the issue; Allen said he told Flannery to contact AFTRA with her concerns but that explanation was derided by AFTRA.

"That was the straw that broke the camel's back but it's also the symptom of a much larger problem," said Reardon, citing SAG's extensive campaign to complain to guild members about lower initial terms of AFTRA contracts in basic cable.

Rosenberg shot back Sunday that AFTRA had mischaracterized SAG's efforts on the soap, contending that SAG's board had approved a motion pledging that it would not attempt to take over coverage of the show.

AFTRA leaders were also perturbed over SAG's attempts over the past year to seek more seats on the joint bargaining committee -- which was split 50-50 even though SAG covers the lion's share of work.

The developments are certain to rattle Hollywood, which was already unnerved by the 100-day WGA strike and SAG's blistering denunciation of the DGA deal two months ago. Due to fears of a SAG strike, studios have been scrambling to stockpile features and complete production by June 30

Rosenberg said Sunday, "The optimist in me says there's one benefit from AFTRA leaving -- SAG will be able to control its own destiny at the bargaining table."

SAG represents 120,000 members. AFTRA has 70,000 members and the two unions have 40,000 dual cardholders.

The bad blood between SAG and AFTRA stems partly from failed efforts by SAG moderates to merge with AFTRA in 1999 and 2004. Both combos were voted down by SAG members, partly over concerns that SAG would lose its identity as an actors union.

Additionally, SAG's split internally due to reps from New York and regional branches opposing most of the moves by Hollywood reps -- who control about 60% of the board seats. N.Y. SAG president Sam Freed joined in the finger-pointing, blaming Rosenberg and his allies for provoking AFTRA by moving to ditch Phase One before agreeing to joint negotiations.

"Now, after a year of provocation that has gotten them what they always wanted, they are placing the blame on everyone but themselves for the outcome," Freed said. "The current Hollywood leadership of SAG has today failed all actors."

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from suzyquzy: According to EW quoting the Hollywood Reporter

SAG talks scheduled to start April 15.

FROM HOLLYWOOD REPORTER) – The Screen Actors Guild announced on Tuesday (April 1) that it would begin contract talks with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers at 10 a.m. on April 15 at the AMPTP headquarters in Encino, CA. ''Now that we have concluded our wages and working conditions process and the SAG National Board has approved our proposal package, we look forward to productive negotiations,'' SAG national executive director and chief negotiator Doug Allen said on Tuesday night. The SAG announcement comes three days after the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists said it would not negotiate its contract jointly with SAG, as the two groups have done for almost three decades. AFTRA is expected to announce its negotiations start date some time this week. The actors' unions' current contracts expire on June 30. (Hollywood Reporter)

from suzyquzy: Some members want to limit voters to those actors who
work at least one day per year. Board disagrees


SAG offers AFTRA a seat at the table
Guild gives union until Wednesday to respond
By DAVE MCNARY

In a move that muddies the outlook for looming actor negotiations, leaders of the Screen Actors Guild have offered AFTRA the opportunity to rejoin SAG at the bargaining table.

SAG’s offer, made in a Sunday evening announcement, said AFTRA would have until Wednesday to respond. An AFTRA spokeswoman said the union would have no response until Monday at the earliest.

The move, which had not been expected, comes two weeks after AFTRA angrily split off from SAG over SAG’s alleged attempt to "raid" the soap "The Bold and the Beautiful" -- an allegation SAG has denied, insisting its leaders had merely responded to a castmember’s concerns about the AFTRA contract. The March 29 breakup of the 27-year joint bargaining relationship culminated years of hostility between the unions over jurisdictional issues.

SAG’s brief announcement on Sunday said only that 81% of its national board had OK’d the offer, which was approved at the tail end of a daylong meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. In recent months, the AFL-CIO has been attempting -- with little success so far -- to smooth out the extensive disputes between the thesp unions.

SAG’s talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers on a new feature-primetime deal are set to begin Tuesday, while AFTRA’s talks on its primetime contract are set to start April 28. A spokesman for the AMPTP said the group would have no comment.

Should AFTRA spurn SAG’s offer, the guild will be under pressure to reach an agreement with the AMPTP by April 28 or face the prospect of ongoing jurisdictional warfare with AFTRA. Should SAG fail to reach an agreement by then, AFTRA’s expected to make a deal quickly -- since its leaders tend to be far more moderate than SAG’s and its deal covers just three shows -- and then go after new shows in areas of shared jurisdiction.

SAG’s heading into the negotiations with a fractured front. Over the weekend, SAG leaders split over a divisive proposal that would have limited member voting on the contract to thesps who work at least one day a year.

In its meeting Saturday in downtown Los Angeles, about 60% of SAG’s national board sent the proposal to its guild governance review committee for study -- effectively keeping it from having an impact on contract negotiations.

The bargaining is likely to be contentious, given that recent informal talks with Disney CEO Robert Iger and News Corp. president Peter Chernin went nowhere. And SAG president Alan Rosenberg raised a red flag over the weekend in a letter to members by reiterating that SAG must achieve an increase in DVD residuals -- a position that’s a nonstarter for the congloms.

The "qualified voting" proposal, by limiting voting to SAG members who work regularly, probably would have resulted in less support for a possible strike when the contract expires June 30. But opponents have asserted that the idea is elitist and goes against the democratic principles of SAG.

The vote followed the usual divisions, with Hollywood reps supporting the referral and reps from New York and the regional branches voting against it. The proposal was modified by Hollywood reps before being sent to committee to include language instituting a work requirement as a condition of board membership.

SAG’s been pressured by high-profile members to institute some form of qualified voting. More than 1,500 members signed the petition, including Kevin Bacon, Amy Brenneman, Sally Field and Charlie Sheen.

Rosenberg predicted earlier this month that the measure would not pass and labeled it ill-timed, asserting that such a move detracts from efforts to present a united front at the bargaining table.

SAG member Ned Vaughn, who led the effort to bring the proposal to the board, called the move a stalling tactic and asserted that referring the measure to the committee assured it would not take effect until after the SAG negotiations. He also said the decision showed SAG leaders are not serious about the issue.

"That our proposal has now been referred to ‘the committee where things go to die’ (as one board member called it when relating the news) leads us to believe that there is not a will to address this issue seriously among current Guild leadership," he said. "We will obviously get reaction from the 1500+ members who strongly support the proposal, and decide how to proceed based on the response. This much is certain: the effort to give working actors an effective voice in contract decisions will not go away."

Rosenberg also released a letter to members Saturday, taking a firm stance on bargaining -- but without mentioning the possibility of a strike. The positions, which did not cite specific figures, included a "long overdue" increase to the DVD/Home Video formula.

The WGA sought an increase in the two-decades-old DVD/homevid formula, but dropped the idea a few hours before it went on strike Nov. 5 as part of the last-ditch efforts to avoid a work stoppage. WGA leaders were incensed the AMPTP did not make enough of a move in response to the guild taking the proposal off the table.

The DGA did not propose an increase in DVD residuals.

Rosenberg noted the feature-primetime pact that’s up for negotiations represents more than $1 billion in annual earnings.

Although Rosenberg has said repeatedly that he doesn’t want a strike, the town has continued to worry about SAG’s assertive stance and its close alliance with the WGA during the writers strike. Those concerns have led to a ramp-up of feature production with the goal of finishing shooting by the end of June as a hedge against a work stoppage.

Rosenberg stressed in the letter that SAG’s major goal is to improve pay for working actors, asserting they’ve been squeezed out of showbiz in recent years.

"We have to negotiate fair payments for all new-media formats to help us expand opportunities for middle class actors to get more work, just as the employers are expanding their opportunities to earn even more revenue," Rosenberg said. "We simply can’t wait until this boat has sailed. We need to be on the boat -- and it’s leaving now."

SAG also said its proposals cover "major role" actors (featured, guest stars, weekly players); extras; increased employer contributions to pension and health; eliminating "forced endorsement" in which members wind up not being paid for commercials that are written to the script; "fair market value" language; and improvements and protections for young performers, stunt performers, performers with disabilities, dancers and others.

SAG said it will hold a town hall meeting in Los Angeles on April 29 and in New York on April 30 to update members.

In a touch of irony, both SAG and AFTRA also are participating in Tuesday morning’s rally at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles to launch a three-day March to the Docks to show labor solidarity among local unionists. Esai Morales will speak on behalf of SAG while Jason George will appear for AFTRA.

from suzy: SAG and studios begin negotiations.


SAG, studios begin negotiations
Guild kicks off talks with majors
By DAVE MCNARY

Opting for a low-key approach amid the town's fears of a strike, the Screen Actors Guild and the majors have launched feature-primetime negotiations with a minimum of fanfare -- in sharp contrast to last year's incendiary WGA talks.

Bargaining began Tuesday morning at AMPTP headquarters with the official presentation of proposals. SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers issued a brief statement in the late afternoon, disclosing only that talks would resume this morning.

The two sides have not agreed to a news blackout, but plan to limit their disclosure to jointly issued end-of-the-day statements for the next two weeks.

Although these plans may change if talks become contentious, the main hope behind the strategy is to avoid the bitter back-and-forth attacks that dominated WGA negotiations before and during the writers strike. Even before the first WGA bargaining sessions began in mid-July, both sides had been blasting each other's positions; once the talks started, the accusations became only more vehement and vituperative.

The start of the SAG talks comes on the heels of a bruising battle with sister union the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists over jurisdiction and strategy.

On Monday, AFTRA spurned a last-minute invite from SAG to rejoin it at the bargaining table under terms of the 1981 Phase One partnership, with AFTRA asserting it can no longer trust SAG leaders due to a dispute over possible decertification of "The Bold and the Beautiful." So Tuesday's session represented the first time in 27 years that SAG and AFTRA have not negotiated together on the contract.

There's still plenty of potential for the guild negotiations to veer off track. The congloms have insisted SAG's going to have to accept terms similar to those in the WGA and DGA pacts signed earlier this year; SAG president Alan Rosenberg has been explicit that the guild must get a boost in DVD residuals and improvements in the new-media portions of the WGA and DGA deals.

The current SAG-AFTRA deal expires June 30. AFTRA, which covers a handful of primetime shows, will begin its negotiations on April 28 -- which puts pressure on SAG to wrap up its talks by then or face the prospect of AFTRA signing a deal first and then using it to expand its coverage in areas of shared jurisdiction.

In a sign that SAG is cognizant of the looming AFTRA talks, it's already scheduled talks for the next two Saturdays, in addition to the weekdays.

And the bitter dispute with AFTRA received more fuel Tuesday as "The Bold and the Beautiful" star Susan Flannery asserted that SAG had not initiated the question of decertification.

"Just so everyone understands, the idea of exploring the possibility of a new 'collective bargaining agent' began with me," she said in a letter to the SAG board. "There have been over the past 21 years at 'B&B' a growing dissatisfaction with AFTRA regarding health plans, residuals, pensions, meal penalties, turnarounds, etc. In the final analysis, the contracts negotiated on our behalf over the years, in our opinion, have fallen very short of our expectations!"

AFTRA leaders have said that SAG's involvement in discussing decertification with Flannery was "the last straw." But Flannery insisted that SAG national exec director Doug Allen merely advised her and co-star John McCook that they should take the matter to AFTRA.

Tuesday's launch of negotiations coincided with a labor solidarity rally at Hancock Park to start a three-day "March to the Docks" to push for better jobs. SAG board member Esai Morales and AFTRA board member Jason George both spoke at the event, which drew about 1,000 supporters from more than two dozen unions.

"Unions are the only way to keep our dignity," Morales said. "We've been under assault for decades. Corporate America has turned us into a serf nation."

Morales also said SAG doesn't want a strike, reiterating a position that Allen and Rosenberg have expressed repeatedly.

"But we will not be forced into a position where we have to take less and less," he added. "We will not be the bad guy on this. Let it be on them to give us what we deserve."

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suzy says: Both sides agree to extend bargaining meetings into May. See press release below

Los Angeles, Apr. 23, 2008 - Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to extend our bargaining session by one week. The parties will continue negotiations through May 2, 2008.

We have no further comment.

Contact:
Pamela Greenwalt, SAG
(323) 440-2892

Jesse Hiestand, AMPTP
(818) 935-5941


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Marymageli says: TV Squad tells us some bad news concerning a feasible strike. At this stage I am still hoping things will be resolved, but, unfortunately, it seems another strike can't be ruled out. Sad.


AMPTP suspends negotiations with SAG

Posted May 7th 2008 8:22AM by Brett Love

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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suzy says: Neither my brain nor my heart is up to another walkout. Would the writers walk too since sag walked with them? According to the news release SAG is asking for quite a bit more then the writers, producers as well as AFTRA had asked for.

Stay tuned I guess.

Below is link to the Producers site:

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

suzy says: SAG and AMPTP are scheduled to resume talks
on Wednesday, May 28th.
Let us pray.


[Only admins are allowed to see this image]

May 27, 2008
Dear SAG Members,

Tomorrow we will resume TV/Theatrical contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). As you know, the AMPTP suspended our negotiations on May 6 to begin talks with AFTRA for its primetime Exhibit A contract.

Screen Actors Guild observers were present for only 6 of the 18 days that AFTRA has been meeting with the AMPTP. We were proud to invite AFTRA to attend every day of our bargaining sessions. In the event that our committee met in executive session with only senior staff present, or in sidebar with a handful of staff and members, we reported the discussions and results of the sessions and gave AFTRA every document. Unfortunately that level of transparency was not reciprocated. Observers were in fact told they could not attend 12 days of confidential sessions. As a result SAG has not had a representative there for the last week. We don’t have any details about the status of the talks except that AFTRA and the AMPTP are continuing to meet today, and we will resume our negotiations at 10 a.m. at the AMPTP tomorrow morning.

Your National Negotiating Committee remains committed to getting the best terms possible for actors. We have spent the entire 2 ½ weeks since talks were suspended reaching out to members around the country. We held Town Hall meetings in Los Angeles, New York and via videoconference in Chicago, Miami and San Francisco. We also visited numerous sets in Los Angeles and movie locations in New York. We met with high profile actors in groups and sought input from as many members as possible. We asked you to provide your thoughts via email, and thousands of you responded.

We are going back into these critical negotiations armed with your thoughts, observations, demands, and your blessings. Your leaders will do everything possible to get a fair contract. You and your families deserve nothing less.

The main outstanding issues remain the same as they were in early May:

Middle Class Actors: Actors and background actors are struggling to stay in the game. While management has said they have money to spend here, we want to make sure it’s spent in ways that make a real difference: increases in minimums, including major role, mileage, schedule and money breaks, and more coverage for background actors, for example.

Clips: We have said no to management’s demands of you to give up your right to consent to the use of clips containing your images.

DVD: We simply want the employers to pay your Pension & Health contributions on top of your residual, instead of taking it out of your share of DVD revenues. The entire eligible cast shares only 1% of that revenue. You shouldn’t have to pay your own P& H contributions out of that percentage.

Force Majeure: The SAG contract has longstanding provisions for down periods when a project goes out of production because of an Act of God or strike by another union. We have said no to management’s proposal to wipe away pending claims and to force you to negotiate these rights by yourself

New Media Jurisdiction: SAG wants to cover ALL new media projects, no matter how low the budget. We should not allow major studios and networks to produce non-union new media projects without SAG actors because they have low budgets.

Product Integration: Actors must have a say when they are asked to pitch products within scripted television shows and motion pictures.

Residuals for Original Made for New Media Productions: The AMPTP’s proposal offers no residuals for these productions except in one improbable instance. We believe this would start down a slippery slope toward ending our residuals and that establishing residuals in this area is an important principle.

I promise to keep you apprised of our progress over the coming days. Thank you for your support and please continue to provide input by emailing [Only admins are allowed to see this link].


In unity,
Alan Rosenberg


ORIGINAL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

suzy says: More Detail on the AMPTP's Clips Proposal


The primary dispute is over the re-use of film and television clips in new media for non-promotional uses. The use of clips for promotional purposes is already permitted.
AMPTP is proposing a new structure tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of new media; SAG wants to carry over 50-year-old union rules.

A significant black market for clips already exists. Clips are already available on black market Web sites and video sharing services as a result of Internet piracy. These clips will be out there with or without our industry. That means that actors have already lost control over their images without receiving any compensation whatsoever.
There is the potential to create a significant legal market for clips, which would generate new revenue for actors. Given the public demand that already exists in the black market, there is a high likelihood that a "clips iTunes" would be a success.
Film and television libraries are essential to the creation of the new, legal market. Existing rules would require the Producer to bargain hundreds or thousands of times with an individual performer over clips from a single series or feature.
Under 50-year-old SAG and AFTRA rules, clips from the library, even those lasting only a few seconds, can only be used if the Producer "bargains" separately with every performer in the clip and reaches an agreement to pay each performer at least the day player minimum of $759. This administrative burden will prevent the industry from developing a lawful clips market and allow black market to flourish on its own.
AMPTP has never proposed to sell clips without paying actors. Indeed, a legitimate market would generate brand new sources of income for Guild members.
Producers also have no incentive to devalue their own product by allowing clips to be used for unauthorized purposes. AMPTP has proposed various safeguards – including continued consent for scenes involving nudity – to help protect actors from what is now occurring on the black market.

Below is an AFTRA article to it's members regarding its negotiations with AMPTP.

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May 19, 2008

Dear AFTRA Member:

As you know, AFTRA has been in negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on our contract covering primetime network dramatic programs—also known as Exhibit A—since May 7. Because a press blackout is in effect for these talks, I felt it was important to contact you directly with you a brief update.

We are confronting a number of challenging issues, and a resolution may not be quick or easy. However, our discussions with the Industry have been professional and businesslike, and we remain focused on continuing negotiations in this vein.

As expected, there are several significant issues in the area of New Media—including, most notably, how AFTRA members will participate in original New Media productions, and under what circumstances employers can exploit excerpts from traditional TV programs in New Media. The AFTRA Negotiating Committee is engaged in thoughtful and pragmatic discussions about how to ensure that performers are best protected as we consider these thorny issues. We’ve already delivered a strong message that performers will not relinquish consent for excerpts in New Media, which would compromise the integrity of members’ work, their reputations, or their employability in scripted programming. The Negotiating Committee is also mindful of the hard realities affecting the television business today—including audience fragmentation, piracy, and the other complexities arising out of the fast-evolving New Media landscape—and the impact this has on the wages and job opportunities for working performers.

AFTRA members and the Industry should be able, given appropriate safeguards, to satisfy and profit from the consumers’ desire to access content through legitimate New Media sources, as opposed to the unlawful and uncompensated piracy that threatens the entire entertainment industry. There are no easy solutions, which means that our Negotiating Committee must be both innovative and pragmatic, and the Industry must also embrace a realistic approach.

Given the rapid changes happening around us, we cannot afford to waste any time chasing rainbows. Our obligations to AFTRA members requires us to be focused, firm, and solutions-minded in order to effectively ensure that working performers have a fair and realistic chance to participate in the future of the television industry.

I want to acknowledge the work of your Negotiating Committee Chair, Matt Kimbrough. Matt has demonstrated stellar leadership in keeping our committee energized and focused during these tough talks. The members of the AFTRA Negotiating Committee—all of whom are volunteers—have devoted a tremendous amount of time and energy to achieving meaningful contract improvements for all members working in primetime television. I appreciate the hard work and dedication of Polly Adams, Dave Andriole, Bobbie Bates, Alan Blumenfeld, Susan Boyd Joyce, Stephen Collins, Milo Edwards, Jason George, Jay Gerber, Holter Graham, Robert Pine, Sam Robards, and Ann Walker, as well as other members of the committee who have attended negotiations in person or by teleconference during the past ten days.

As you know, AFTRA members recently voted to ratify the new Network Code. While Exhibit A is very different from the Network Code, what we learned and gained from the Network Code negotiations is proving enormously useful in our current talks. AFTRA also twice delayed our own primetime negotiations so the Screen Actors Guild could continue theirs, and this respect and courtesy was reciprocated by our brothers and sisters in the Guild who shared their experiences during the primetime/theatrical talks they had with the AMPTP shortly before we began our own discussions.

Negotiations resume today, so please continue to support the efforts of your Negotiating Committee to find creative solutions that protect and enhance the lives of working performers. We want to hear from you, and encourage you to email [Only admins are allowed to see this link] to share your questions, feedback, and support.

Thank you for your participation in your union and your solidarity within the community of professional performers.

In solidarity,

ROBERTA REARDON
AFTRA National President

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

suzy says: AFTRA has reached a deal w/ producers....this will leave only SAG with no new contract however new talks started again today (Wed. May 28.)


AFTRA reaches new deal with congloms
May 28, 2008, 10:45 AM | by Lynette Rice

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists -- Hollywood's second-largest performers union behind the Screen Actors Guild -- announced today that it has hammered out a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new three-year primetime TV contract. Besides standard bumps in pay and benefits for AFTRA-covered shows, like Rules of Engagement, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 'Til Death, notable gains were made in the area of New Media. Like the WGA and DGA deals cut earlier this year, the AFTRA agreement grants the union jurisdiction for programs produced for the Internet and other New Media, and states that producers must seek the consent of AFTRA members before using clips from traditional TV shows for non-promotional uses. However, both sides acknowledged the process was cumbersome and will carve out a system in the coming weeks to help expedite the process. "It's win-win," says one AMPTP insider. The latter issue has been a major sticking point for both AFTRA and SAG during the current round of talks.

Like the WGA and DGA deals, no gains were made in DVD residuals.

All eyes are now on SAG and whether it can successfully agree upon a new contract when it resumes negotiations with congloms this morning. SAG entered talks with the AMPTP earlier this spring but was unable to achieve a deal before the AMPTP started talks with AFTRA on May 7. It is widely believed that AFTRA's ability to reach an agreement on new contract terms will put more pressure on SAG to make a deal and avert another crippling strike.

"This is another groundbreaking agreement for AFTRA," AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon said in a statement. "In addition to achieving meaningful gains in compensation and working conditions for performers, it also establishes AFTRA jurisdiction in the dynamic area of New Media, and it preserves performers' consent for use of excerpts of traditional TV shows in New Media. This is a challenging time in the entertainment industry and this was a tough negotiation."

The AMPTP also released a statement today: "We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of 17 days of negotiations with AFTRA. Both AMPTP and AFTRA were challenged during these talks to find a way to fairly and sensibly tailor our industry's New Media framework to meet the needs of actors. As a result of compromise and creativity by both parties, we reached an agreement that makes the New Media framework work for all actors."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

SAG and its response to AFTRA agreement:

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Dear Members,

As I’m sure you have heard, AFTRA reached a tentative agreement early Tuesday morning with the AMPTP for its Prime Time Exhibit A Contract, and we resumed our negotiations with the AMPTP for our TV/Theatrical Contract at 10 a.m. the same day.

Yesterday afternoon members of the AFTRA negotiating committee and staff gave our committee and staff a confidential briefing on their tentative deal. We are in the process of analyzing the AFTRA/AMPTP agreement and how it impacts our negotiations. We will continue to seek further clarifications regarding the agreement from both AFTRA and the AMPTP.

Meanwhile, our negotiating committee is working very hard in an effort to secure a fair contact for SAG members for television programs, motion pictures and new media formats. We are meeting with the AMPTP again today, and we’ll resume talks on Tuesday (the AMPTP has a pre-planned fundraiser to attend on Monday). Observers from our sister unions have been invited to all of our sessions and we thank them for their participation.

Please watch your email and the SAG website for updates. Feel free to contact the committee at [Only admins are allowed to see this link] with your ideas, observations and comments.

In unity,
Alan Rosenberg

ORIGINAL POST: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

suzy says: AMPTP seems to be keeping members up to date on a regular basis since talks restarted last week. As of 6/5 talks are ongoing without comment.

June 4, 2008

Joint AMPTP-SAG Statement

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and Screen Actors Guild met today and have concluded their session. We will reconvene tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

We have no further comment.

ORIGINAL LINK: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

Eviaded says: SAG might scuttle the AFTRA deal

SAG might twist sister's arm
Will urge dual card-holders to reject AFTRA deal

By Andrew Salomon, Back Stage

June 5, 2008, 01:00 AM

NEW YORK -- SAG will hold a special session of its executive committee Friday, at which president Alan Rosenberg and national executive director Doug Allen will seek to persuade dual card-holders to oppose ratification of the primetime TV deal recently agreed to by AFTRA and the studios and networks.

SAG and AFTRA formerly bargained together on major contracts until late March, when a bitter feud resulted in the suspension of their joint agreement, known as Phase One.

[Only admins are allowed to see this image]
Alan Rosenberg, left, and Doug Allen

AFTRA's national board is expected to approve the contract at meetings Friday and Saturday. If it does, the deal will be sent to the federation's roughly 70,000 members for their approval. A simple majority is required for passage.

About 44,000 of SAG's 120,000 members also are members of AFTRA, so ratification could be blocked. That's unlikely, however, given the general support for the pact.

Asked about the guild's executive committee meeting, SAG spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt said, "We have scheduled a special session Friday to update the committee on the status of negotiations." The committee includes Rosenberg, secretary-treasurer Connie Stevens, the three vice presidents and members of the national board from Hollywood, New York and the regional branches.

AFTRA and the AMPTP reached their tentative agreement May 28 on a new three-year contract covering work in scripted programming on network primetime. Although SAG covers most of the work in that area, AFTRA has jurisdiction over a handful of shows, including "Cashmere Mafia," "Flight of the Conchords" and "Rules of Engagement."

SAG officials have limited their public comments to say only that they have been studying the AFTRA deal and had been briefed on the particulars by AFTRA officials. First word of potential opposition came after Rosenberg and Allen met privately with top executives of Sony Pictures on Monday and told them SAG would try to derail the AFTRA deal.

On Wednesday, a Sony spokesman would only say that "there was a frank and cordial exchange of views, and we said how important it was to the industry that a deal be reached as soon as possible, and the best way to do that is by negotiating with the AMPTP, so everyone's energies should be focused that direction."

SAG officials met with the AMPTP on Wednesday, the 23rd day of the negotiations. The contract expires June 30.

Given SAG's official silence, it's unclear exactly what the guild finds objectionable about AFTRA's deal. The federation was able to increase salary minimums by an average of 3.3% per year. For major roles, the annual increases average 4.3% during the life of the contract, and guest stars working three days will receive an 11% increase in 2009.

A Los Angeles-based actor who requested anonymity stated that the wage hikes aren't high enough and are part of a much larger problem facing middle-class members, those who earn $28,000-$100,000 a year. As an example, he said he earned $600 for a day's work in 1988. His most recent job for the same day's work was $750.

"Our lack of pursuing adequate minimums has caught up to us," he said.

When asked how AFTRA could make up for 20 years of lost time in one negotiation, the actor responded: "Yeah, but if you reach for the stars, you might hit the top of the mountain. If you go in as AFTRA does and reach for the top of the hill and you get it and say, 'Oh look we got it,' you've failed. Even if (the raises) keep up with inflation, you haven't made it one step further."

Also, some partisans of Membership First, a faction of the SAG membership that favors a hard-line approach against producers and AFTRA, have complained that AFTRA compromised on the right of consent regarding the use of clips on the Internet. The compromise it agreed to, however, was identical to the one SAG proposed in earlier negotiations with producers.

A SAG source close to the negotiating who requested anonymity said that Rosenberg, Allen and the Membership First group have no specific objections to the AFTRA deal -- they only want to defeat the deal to cover themselves politically with their own membership.

"They've boxed themselves into a corner at every turn," the source said. "They've got nowhere to go."

There have been some questions raised about the legality of SAG working to defeat AFTRA's contract. Jonathan Handel, an entertainment attorney at the Los Angeles firm TroyGould who has represented the WGA, said AFTRA and the AMPTP would have little legal recourse to object because SAG has a First Amendment right to speak to its own members about a contract that affects them.

However, the SAG source responded: "There's a difference between freedom of speech and using union resources to undermine another union's operation. It's one (legal battle) I'd be pretty interested to see it play out."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

suzy says: More info regarding the latest stumbling block.

SAG wants actors holding dual memberships in SAG and AFTRA to vote against the AFTRA agreement made a couple of weeks ago with the producers.

As food for thought the WGA (writers) strike cost California 2.1 Billion dollars in revenue. Based on fact that actors incomes are considerably more then writers this could be a hugely expensive strike. Actors could also stick it out for longer before the financial pinch squeezes. The writers would also feel obligated to walk with actors since actors walked with them.

FULL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

from suzy:

SAG and AMPTP talks.......

Thursday June 5 was last day of meetings for the week.

Negotiations are to continue on Monday June 9th.

suzy says: SAG President, Alan Rosenberg, updates members in letter on sag website dated 6/8/08.

He talks about very specific issues and also states that AFTRA will not wait on SAG to sign its own contract.

Very interesting article & talks continue today.

Let's remember now we are only three weeks away from contract expiration.

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Dear Members,

Screen Actors Guild’s negotiating committee continued its bargaining with the AMPTP this past week. We continue to negotiate for a new contract that will be fair for actors and we are not done yet as there are still a number of significant outstanding issues including:

* More than cost-of-living improvements for working actor compensation, with real improvements in money breaks and schedule breaks and a significant increase in the major role minimum.

* Make real improvements in background coverage and compensation.

* Guild coverage and residuals for all original new media programs. Our employers should not have the right to produce non-union new media programming under our contract. We continue to fight hard to preserve residuals for actors now and in the future.

* Product integration – you should have the right of consent and to be compensated for scripted in-program product integrations in which an actor extols the virtues of a product or service.

* Improving DVD Residuals – we are holding on our proposal that management pay P&H contributions on top of the residuals instead of deducting it from your residuals payment. This would mean a 15% increase in DVD residual payments.

* An increase in mileage for the first time in 30 years. A gallon of gas cost about 63 cents in 1978. It’s almost $5 per gallon now – a cost jump of around 700%. I think we can all agree that it’s time for an increase in mileage.

These are examples of priorities for actors that were not achieved in the AFTRA deal.

I also want to bring you up to date on other recent actions. As you may know, your negotiating committee unanimously voted to ask AFTRA to delay the ratification of their tentative deal in order to allow Screen Actors Guild to successfully conclude its negotiations with the AMPTP. We believe that the tentative AFTRA deal and its pending ratification – coming as it does within several days of SAG’s June 30 contract deadline – is a distraction that the employers are using to delay significant progress in our negotiations.

Delaying ratification of the AFTRA contract could benefit all actors. AFTRA members too would benefit by increased leverage in our negotiations and through any favored nations clauses SAG might be able to achieve that would provide improvements in the AFTRA deal.

Regrettably, AFTRA President Roberta Reardon and Executive director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth informed us by letter that AFTRA will not agree to a delay in their ratification schedule. I assure you, this is NOT about union politics. It is about using our combined leverage to achieve the best terms possible for actors--in both unions.

We appreciate the attendance of observers from other unions who attended our negotiations throughout the week, as they have in the past.

Please watch your email and the SAG website at [Only admins are allowed to see this link] for further updates. Feel free to contact the committee at [Only admins are allowed to see this link] with your ideas, observations and comments.

And, if you are in the Los Angeles area, please come to our Solidarity Rally tomorrow, Monday, June 9, from 10 am until noon at SAG National Headquarters, 5757 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Your presence at the rally will mean a lot to your fellow actors on the negotiating committee as we resume negotiations on Monday afternoon.

In unity,
Alan Rosenberg

ORIGINAL POST: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

from suzy: SAG to hold Membership Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday June 11 in LA

Attend the Member Town Hall Meeting in Los Angeles for Updates on the current status of TV/Theatrical Contract Negotiations

Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Doug Allen will present an update on the current status of TV/Theatrical Negotiations.

When: Wednesday, June 11
7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Where: Harmony Gold Preview House
7655 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046

Note: Please bring your SAG membership card (paid thru May 2008) for admittance. Parents/Guardians of SAG members under 18-years old may attend with the minor.

Parking: Parking available in rear and street parking.


ORIGINAL ARTICLE:http://www.sag.org/contract-2008-tvtheatrical-negotiations

from suzy:

SAG deal unlikely before June 30
Guild hopes to keep AFTRA from ratifying
By DAVE MCNARY

With the SAG-AFTRA bloodbath in full fury, don't expect a deal between the Screen Actors Guild and the majors any time soon.

SAG president Alan Rosenberg told Daily Variety that progress at the negotiating table has been elusive at best in recent sessions, and he admitted it's unlikely that a deal will emerge by the June 30 expiration.
More than one option

"Our progress has really slowed down ever since AFTRA made its deal," he said Wednesday, following the 27th bargaining session with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. Talks will resume this morning.

Rosenberg made his remarks shortly before an evening town hall meeting for members at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles. The event drew nearly 400 and evoked enthusiastic support for SAG's stance against the AFTRA ratification, according to one eyewitness.

Rosenberg admitted that asking SAG members for a strike authorization remains an option but said that no definite decision would be made by guild leaders until next week. SAG can't strike without at least 75% of its members approving via an authorization vote.

"We have not decided to go ahead on a strike authorization, but if we do, we'll have to fairly soon," he added, noting that the voting process would take several weeks to complete. "And we can certainly work past the expiration date while we're still negotiating."

SAG's hoping its campaign to defeat the AFTRA ratification --results will be announced July 7 -- will lead to AFTRA returning to the table and improving its deal so that both unions will achieve pacts with similar terms.

Rosenberg and SAG national exec director Doug Allen have blamed SAG's lack of progress toward a deal on what they see as the deficiencies of the AFTRA deal. SAG's key gripes include new-media jurisdiction, product placement, force majeure and DVD residuals.

Rosenberg and Allen received a warm response at Monday's rally at SAG headquarters to urge a no vote by the 44,000 guild members who also belong to AFTRA.

"Since then, the response from members has been very positive," he added. "As an AFTRA member, it's my contract, so we have to get AFTRA to make a better deal. Otherwise, where are the employers going to go?"

Rosenberg's characterization of the AFTRA deal is wildly at odds with that union's take on the pact, reached May 28, and what AFTRA's describing as the "overwhelmingly positive" response from its members.

In addition to blasting SAG for interference in the ratification, AFTRA's also touted the pact's breakthroughs, such as more than 10% improvement for working actor compensation over the course of the contract; gains in overtime and schedule breaks; a 10% increase in the major role minimum; coverage for new-media programs with a payment structure similar to that in the DGA and WGA deals; preservation of performers consent for online clip use; and access to employers' transaction data, including contract information and license agreements.

The majors have made it clear that SAG won't get a significantly better deal than AFTRA. But Rosenberg and Allen told members in a letter this week, "We have not yet reached the point where either SAG or AFTRA has a deal that meets your needs as professional actors. This is a righteous fight, and we believe that with your support, we will prevail."

AFTRA negotiating committee chairman Matt Kimbrough has accused SAG of dragging its feet at the negotiating table in order to prep for the anti-AFTRA campaign. Rosenberg said that's not the case, adding, "We've been working hard every day."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: [Only admins are allowed to see this link]

This is making me nervous...

What the AMPTP says as of 6/12

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]

SAG response to the above as of 6/12

[Only admins are allowed to see this link]