For some reason a couple of recent posts have disappeared so I’m republishing the following information. The sessions between SAG, AMPTP and a federal MEDIATOR went nowhere last week and now SAG is saying it will ask the membership for a strike authorization vote. Even though I have no desire to see a strike, I [...]

Los Angeles, CA (October 1, 2008) – The National TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee of Screen Actors Guild today passed the following advisory motion to the National Board: “Whereas, Screen Actors Guild has been and remains willing and able to continue formal and continuous negotiations with the AMPTP and the employers, with the intention of reaching a [...]

September 29, 2008 Dear Alan and Doug: This is in response to your letter dated September 29, 2008 to Peter Chernin, Robert Iger and me. Your letter indicates that the Screen Actors Guild is not prepared to change its position on any of the threshold issues in our negotiations. The Guild’s position remains unchanged since [...]

With the SAG in a stalemate with the majors over its feature-primetime contract, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists have opted for a six-month extension of their commercials contract until March 31. SAG and AFTRA, which plan to negotiate jointly on the ad deal, made the disclosure Wednesday [...]

Deadline Hollywood Daily has a full posting of all the most recent back and forth between SAG boards and SAG vs the AMPTP. Below is the full text of the email received by SAG membership on Friday, the 15th. August 15, 2008 CONTRACT 2008 UPDATE Discussions Continue SAG negotiators and industry representatives continue to have [...]

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 [...]

No movement. That’s all there is to report on the ongoing standoff between SAG and the AMPTP. Trade publications put attendance at Saturday’s SAG membership meeting in Hollywood at 450 – 750, depending on which industry rag you want to believe. The producer-friendly Daily Variety article actually has the attendance at the upper end of [...]

Reading all the entertainment coverage of the stalemate between SAG and the AMPTP, it occurred to me that it might be helpful to have handy the definitions for certain terms recur frequently in said coverage. So, for what it’s worth, here are some terms that you’ll see often if you follow this saga: Residuals – [...]

Today the AMPTP and SAG negotiators met for several hours as the two sides squared off in yet another round in a seemingly interminable contract negotiation. While most major news sources are reporting that SAG simply told the AMPTP ‘no’ to their final offer today, Hollywood Reporter: The studios Thursday said that SAG officially rejected [...]

While pundits in Hollywood debate whether the AMPTP has actually presented their ‘last, best and final offer’ or just their ‘final offer’, and what the difference is between a ‘final’ offer and a ‘last, best’ final offer, the two sides have broken off talks until next week. SAG says it needs time to study the [...]