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Screen Actors Union Seeks Strike Vote

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(Nov. 23) - The Screen Actors Guild said Saturday 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.

Federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez adjourned the talks between SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers shortly before 1 a.m. after two marathon sessions failed to produce an agreement. No new talks are scheduled.

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The SAG, representing more than 120,000 actors in movies, television and other media, said in a statement that it will launch a "full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization."

Talks broke down after the studios sought the right to create productions for new media, such as the Internet, using nonunion actors and without paying residuals, said Doug Allen, SAG national executive director and chief negotiator.

Residuals are payments to actors that are made every time a production airs, such as TV reruns. Many SAG members rely on residuals for more than half of their income, Allen said.

"They're asking us to bless a system we believe would be the beginning of the end of residuals, and that's a very scary thought for working actors," he said.

The producers' alliance condemned the SAG decision and said it remains the only major Hollywood guild without a labor deal this year.

"Now, SAG is bizarrely asking its members to bail out the failed negotiating strategy with a strike vote - at a time of historic economic crisis," a producers' statement said. "The tone-deafness of SAG is stunning."

SAG's national board has already authorized its negotiating committee to call for a strike authorization vote if mediation failed. The vote would take more than a month and require more than 75 percent approval to pass.

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SAG wants 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.

The producers' group this week said it had reached its sixth labor deal this year, a tentative agreement on a three-year contract with the local branches of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts, accounting for 35,000 workers.

The stagehands alliance accepted Internet provisions that were modeled on agreements with other unions, the producers group said.

Actors in prime-time television shows and movies have been working under the terms of a contract that expired June 30, with the hope of avoiding a repeat of the 100-day writers strike which shut down production of dozens of TV shows and cost the Los Angeles area economy an estimated $2.5 billion.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-11-22 10:12:19

Christopher Peterson, BuzzFoto / FilmMagic

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WashougalRvr

10:40 AMDec 17 2008

It's hard for me to muster up outrage because the acting world wants more money. I think the top tier stars make insanely too much money. Given the plight we find ourselves in (the economy), the actors and their demands seem petty and silly. Time for a values change, people.

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CSHANSCOMCC

09:27 AMDec 17 2008

yes then go get a real job

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MShannonRainier

07:03 PMDec 12 2008

Here we go with another strike. But by all means go on strike it'll save me from seeing crappy shows and even crappier movies. Maybe if actors did their jobs and quit bitching about it TV shows would get better ratings, people would pay to see movies, etc.

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Gobluespartyon

07:50 PMNov 26 2008

Strike or no strike I will be back and still will be watching movies and TV shows as there is a lot of great TV shows.

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MeowMeowsers

05:34 PMNov 24 2008

Less than 2% of SAG members make over $1mil a year. The rest of us are struggling to make ends meet. While I think that this is very bad timing for a strike, I agree with the fact that they are trying to regulate union status over new media (Ie; webisodes, etc). Since web series are becoming increasingly popular, remaining "non-union" would be very detrimental to the acting industry. It would go against the years it took SAG to create fair working conditions for its actors and performers. The only people that non-union productions benefit in the long run are the producers. I hope that SAG and the Producers can reach an agreement and fast, without the need for a strike. On a side note, before anyone goes off on "all those poor millionaires being greedy" I suggest you do your research. www.sag.org would be a good place to start.

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Coppolarco2

04:29 AMNov 24 2008

Are you kidding me? Who the hell cares! People get something else like maybe netflex. At least it is something. Really now...WHO THE HELL CARES....!

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Pumkipus

03:56 AMNov 24 2008

I'm a SAG member and I don't make millions. But this union is suppose to protect me. It never has! This doesn't effect the 2% that make millions. It hurts all of "Hollywood" from Los Angeles to film industries abroad. If you think movies are bad now, wait until next year. BAD TIMING

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EvilVaquero

01:48 AMNov 24 2008

So this means that the liberal elitists in hollywood wont be getting a paycheck...Im crying.

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DmPrpl

12:56 AMNov 24 2008

Once again another group of high paid individuals screaming foul. Actors and athletes make millions of dollars and refuse to acknowledge the people who really are the reason they make so much money, the public. With the economy the way it is who can afford to go to the movies anyhow? The are liable to be on strike for some time if they expect us to care!

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Kelso102970

12:02 AMNov 24 2008

Is this why Golden Globe Nominations haven't been anounced?

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