The best deals are made when both parties involved are dissatisfied. No winners, no losers. But while the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the AMPTP (the studios) are both stubborn and dissatisfied, no deals are being made. In the media, there are actually no words about a deal at all. Everything is about the lack of a deal, the non-deal. An anonymous voice in favor of the AFTRA (SAG’s little brother and recent new enemy) said the SAG isn’t seeing progress “perhaps because it’s been too busy trying to undermine the AFTRA deal to be able to negotiate one of its own.” Nice.

Meanwhile, the SAG still didn’t decide if they will go through with the strike’s authorization vote. And the AMPTP is getting ready to make the SAG a final offer, which they never did before the writers’ strike last winter. In any case, the recent progress seems to be minimal at best. With the strike date nearing, the studios are expected to pressure with these kind of messages. And emphasize the lack of flexibility by the SAG, while the SAG will do the same in return.

In the end, the actors will strike and most of them will sink even deeper below the average national income. Still thinking about moving to Hollywood?

I’ll give a brief update on this story’s history, for the ones who didn’t follow.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) started negotiations with the studios about new contracts two months ago. The talks dragged on and on, until the studios were scheduled to talk to the AFTRA (TV and Radio) about renewing their contracts. These talks were delayed a couple of times in favor of the SAG negotiations, but later the SAG had to make way for the AFTRA. At that point, the SAG still didn’t have a deal. Far from it actually, with main disputes about DVD residuals and so on.

But where the SAG saw major problems, the AFTRA saw no problems at all. In a couple of weeks they made a new deal with the studios, putting extra pressure on the SAG. Needless to say, they were not pleased and criticized the union for their lack of effort.

Continue reading SAG pleas against AFTRA deal

The actors’ strike could get dirty for actors low on cash this summer. Regulars of, for example, ‘Lost,’ ‘CSI’ and ‘Ugly Betty’ claim the studios still owe them a big chunk of cash, a back pay caused by the writers’ strike last winter. They were temporarily suspended during the strike, but their contracts entitles them to 2,5 weeks’ pay when suspended for ‘extraordinary circumstances.’

The Screen Actors Guild says hundreds of actors still owe over $10 million in paychecks. “The employers have refused to live up to their contractual obligations and have instead attempted to shift the studios’ financial obligations onto the backs of the actors who are their employees,” a spokesman said, totally shifting the focus of their current negotiations.

The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, spokesman for the studios, could not comment because of the pending judgment on this case.