Dissidents have won control of the Screen Actors Guild’s national board in a surprise result that heightens the chances of an end to the guild’s contract stalemate with the major studios.
The SAG circular doesn’t constitute an official strike authorization vote — even though it contains a polling card that asks members to “continue to fight for a fair deal” or sign on to accept the final offer from the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. “We need your guidance,” SAG notes on the card. “Tell us what you think.”
The Screen Actors Guild, which has insisted it deserves a sweeter deal than the other guilds, had no official statement at deadline. The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers responded with frustration, tweaking SAG for having its members continue to work under terms of the expired contract. The AMPTP made its final offer to SAG on June 30, the day the previous contract expired, and have stressed repeatedly that they’re done negotiating.
The Screen Actors Guild continues to insist that it’s still engaged in contract talks with the major studios. However, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers has denied these assertions. “Negotiations concluded when the producers presented their final offer on June 30, 2008,” the AMPTP said.
The Unite for Strength faction’s platform centers around pushing for a merger with rival union AFTRA in an effort to increase actors’ overall leverage at the negotiating table with the major studios. Membership First, which currently dominates the Hollywood board seats, engaged in a public fight with AFTRA this summer.
Screen Actors Guild leaders have been sending mixed messages about a possible strike for months. On the one hand, guild administrator Alan Rosenberg and national executive director Doug Allen have proclaimed that SAG doesn’t want to strike, but they’ve also said that a work stoppage remains a weapon in their arsenal.
The Screen Actors Guild’s national board reiterated its earlier position: the new-media portions of the deal proposed by producers can’t be accepted because it allows non-union workers. The Guild has repeatedly asserted that it must get a better deal than the ones previously signed by directors and writers.