It looks like warring factions inside SAG have found some common ground vs the AMPTP. Finally, all the SAG board agrees that allowing SAG sanctioned, non-Union production and no residuals for certain so called new media production is a bad idea for actors.
Daily Variety reporter and AMPTP fanboy, Dave McNary lays it all out in his article in Daily Variety dated July 29, 2008:
“SAG’s national board — which often finds itself amid pitched internal battles — has received backing from the fledgling Unite for Strength faction over its stance that the majors’ final offer to the guild is unacceptable.
SAG’s board voted unanimously over the weekend that it could not endorse the new-media provisions in the AMPTP’s offer — singling out provisions allowing non-union work in low-budget productions along with a lack of a guarantee of residuals for new-media programs replayed on digital platforms.
Unite for Strength announced last week a slate of 31 Hollywood division candidates with the aim of wresting control of SAG’s board from the ruling Membership First faction. Despite its assertions that SAG’s leaders have mishandled the negotiations, Unite for Strength said it’s in step on the policy stance.
“United for Strength fully supports the recent SAG board motion reasserting SAG’s commitment to the core principle that it does not authorize our employers to make nonunion product under our contracts, regardless of the medium or budget level,” the group said Tuesday. “We believe SAG needs new leadership, but we also agree with SAG’s negotiators that actors need real gains from a new contract.”
Unite for Strength also said in the statement that it agrees that the original goals of SAG’s negotiating committee — including pay and mileage increases, increased pension and health contributions, residuals on new media, protection from product integration abuses, increased DVD residuals and preservation of force majeure protections.
“Unite for Strength believes actors should have all those protections and more,” the group said. “We support our families with SAG earnings, so getting the strongest deal for actors is our top priority. And we know our current negotiating team feels the same way.”
Read McNary’s whole article in Daily Variety.
