Hope Fades For Successful SAG Contract Renewal

Both the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) halted talks indefinitely late last night after total failure at coming to a reasonable solution to the wide “new media” gap that stands between the two parties. And, even though the SAG contract expires on June 30, no new talks have been set up. Unless a miracle occurs between now and the end of June, the entertainment industry and moviegoers should be preparing for another possible lengthy strike, especially after news leaked that SAG leaders are now examining that option and seeking a strike authorization vote from its members.

The other actor’s union, AFTRA (The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is more hopeful that it could have a deal in place by sometime next week. While this is good news, the most AFTRA has is a smattering of television shows. Some actors could find themselves in a dilemma if SAG gives the greenlight for a strike and AFTRA reaches a settlement with the AMPTP because about 44,000 actors belong to both unions. Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have already stated that they will support SAG if they decide to strike and not cross picket-lines. SAG was the WGA’s number one supporter when they went out on strike for nearly four months, basically crippling Hollywood, from which the industry has yet to fully recover. Because so many peripheral companies are negatively impacted by these kinds of strikes, some are speculating that a SAG strike for a period of longer than a couple of weeks could be the final nail in Hollywood’s coffin.