Screen Actors Guild Asking for Strike, Again

[RebelMan]

SAG and AMPTP Talks Break Down Again
Source: SAG, AMPTP
November 22, 2008


After 27 hours of round-the-clock meetings, talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) have again broken down, and SAG will now seek a strike authorization from its members. First up is a statement from the AMPTP:

The AMPTP accepted the federal mediator's invitation to meet with SAG in hopes of concluding our seventh major agreement of 2008. The Producers met for two days with SAG at the request of federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez. The parties were unable to reach an agreement and the mediator has adjourned the mediation process.

SAG said:

Our leadership was optimistic that federal mediation would help to move our negotiations forward, but despite the Guild's extraordinary efforts to reach agreement, the mediation was adjourned shortly before 1:00 AM today.

Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members. As previously authorized by the National Board of Directors, we will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum. We will further inform our members about the core, critical issues unique to actors that remain in dispute.

We have already made difficult decisions and sacrifices in an attempt to reach agreement. Now it's time for SAG members to stand united and empower the national negotiating committee to bargain with the strength of a possible work stoppage behind them.

We remain committed to avoiding a strike but now more than ever we cannot allow our employers to experiment with our careers. The WGA has already learned that the new media terms they agreed to with the AMPTP are not being honored. We cannot allow our employers to undermine the futures of our members and their families.

No timeline has been set for the mailing or return of the strike authorization ballots.

SAG will need 75% of its voting members to approve the measure in order to go forward with a strike.

[room217]

I don't understand exactly. Are Actors asking for more pay? If that's what it is, we should all just be giving them the middle finger if all of them do go on a strike.

[RebelMan]

Originally Posted by room217

I don't understand exactly. Are Actors asking for more pay?

The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) isn't honoring the agreement they made with Screen Actors Guild (SAG) after the end of the first strike. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) aren't getting a percentage of the income from the sales of TV Programs & Films that are sold on & through the Internet legally that the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) have been getting selling TV Programs & Films on & through the Internet.

Basically, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) are still getting all the money from Internet Sales of TV Programs & Films even after they made an agreement with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

[wannabe]

There are a lot of actors who don't make much money from their job; probably 99% of them, or close to it. It's easy to say Brangie don't need an extra million when they've already got more money than you or I will make in our entire lives, but there are plenty of people just trying to break into showbusiness, just trying to get their first big break, forced to take any old crappy job, maybe even a second job. The overwhelming majority of actors don't get things handed to them, they have to work hard for them, and most never even get recognized on the street.