Actors union seeks strike
2008-11-22 22:29
Los Angeles - The key union representing
US film and television actors said on Saturday it will seek a
strike authorisation vote by members after federal mediation
failed to break a logjam in stalled labour talks with major
Hollywood studios.
The Screen Actors Guild, which represents some 120 000
performers across the United States, said in a statement early
Saturday that no timeline had been set for a vote, which would
give SAG leaders the go-ahead to call for a work stoppage, if
necessary.
"Management continues to insist on terms we cannot
responsibly accept on behalf of our members," SAG said in its
statement. "We will now launch a full-scale education campaign
in support of a strike authorisation referendum."
Key sticking points centre on how much actors should be
paid for content delivered over the internet.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,
which represents the major studios, issued its own statement
confirming the parties were unable to reach a deal after recent
talks with the mediator.
A strike authorisation is not a call for a work stoppage
but it gives union leaders the support of members to call a
strike.
Strike authorisation would require 75% approval of
members who cast a vote. Industry watchers think that may be
tough to achieve in light of the US economic slump and
fatigue from a tumultuous 14-week work stoppage by the Writers
Guild of America in late 2007 and 2008.
The WGA walkout idled thousands of Hollywood workers,
brought prime-time TV production to a virtual halt and cost the
Los Angeles economy an estimated $3bn.
Contract talks continued early this year but the studios
cut off negotiations June 30 after giving SAG a "final" offer
only hours before the old contract expired. Since then, actors
have been working without a new contract.
After recent weeks of shuttle diplomacy, a US federal
mediator brought labour negotiators together on Thursday this
week for their first meeting in four months. Those meetings
broke off just after midnight on Friday with no agreement.
The AMPTP's last offer essentially mirrors terms approved
by several other Hollywood unions. SAG leaders have held out
for a better deal, but the studios have refused to budge.