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?

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has until June 30 to make a deal with the studios, but president Alan Rosenberg isn’t expecting much. The feud between the SAG and the AFTRA (Radio and TV) only made things worse. “Our progress has really slowed down ever since AFTRA made its deal,” Rosenberg said.

But before the union can strike, it has to get 75% of its members to approve, which would take a couple of weeks. “We have not decided to go ahead on a strike authorization, but if we do, we’ll have to fairly soon,” he said.

Is anyone expecting a deal at this point? Because of the approval, we should know about the strike within a week, maybe a couple of days.

But will 75% agree to another strike after the devastating effect of the last one?

A study by the Milken Institute shows how last winters’ strike cost California $2.1 billion and caused 37,700 direct and indirect lost jobs. All in all, it had an enormous effect on the already difficult economy. “This was not a discrete one-time hit, [the strike] had a substantial impact on California’s economy in general and on Los Angeles County in particular,” the study stated.

It also pointed out how most fired workers didn’t get their job back after the strike ended in February. But other businesses were also squeezed. Caterers, cleaners and hotels for example, were all affected indirectly. The total Californian personal income is projected to drop $3 billion. And it won’t return to normal until next year.

That is, if there won’t be a second strike. “A SAG strike would have a devastating effect on the California economy because it would be occurring right at the point when we hope the economy begins to come out of recession,” one of the authors said. Well, let’s hope not. But I’m certainly not getting my hopes up.