Next-Gen Xbox One Unveiled With Content Including … 
UPDATE: Apple CEO Challenged For Moving “Crown … 
CAA Signs ‘Robocop’ Joel Kinnaman 
Cannes: Fleming Q&A With Steven Soderbergh: … 
ESPN Layoffs Could Reach 400 As Part Of Latest Disney Cuts 
UPDATE: Broadcast Nets Expand Nightly News For Tornado … 
Cannes: Weinstein Co Acquires Keanu-Reese Sci-Fi Pic … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Up … 
Hot Trailer: ‘The Wolverine’ 
Ric Robertson Taking Paid Summer Hiatus From Movie Academy … 
‘The Big C’ Finale Airs On Showtime Tonight 
Obama Scandals Bring MSNBC 7-Year Low While Fox News Rises 
Season Finale Of CBS’ ‘Mike & Molly’ … 
Ang Lee Departs FX Pilot ‘Tyrant’ 
DreamWorks Eyes January For ‘Glimmer’ And Dylan … 
Warner Bros TV & ‘Smallville’ Co-Creators … 
How Many Times Does Seth MacFarlane Have To Say No To The … 
UPFRONTS 2013: TV Spinoffs’ Almost Perfect Year 
OSCARS: Animated Feature Rule Change 
Cannes: Relativity Sets ‘Hunger Games’ Liam … 
Cannes: Park Chan-wook’s ‘Sympathy For Mr. … 
The Screen Actors Guild National Board Of Directors issued a statement today about what its next steps will be. And the AMPTP immediately said it would not give SAG a better deal than the other four major unions. To clarify, the SAG National Board is asking for federal mediation to step in because the Hollywood employers are refusing to negotiate. 
Time will be allowed for that federal mediation to accomplish a breakthrough. The Board is leaving it up to SAG’s national negotiating committee to determine if and when mediation becomes fruitless: if that point is reached, then the referendum seeking a strike authorization goes out to members. This process takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days, including three weeks for the ballots to come back to SAG. If the vote is yes to empower a strike by at least 75% of eligible SAG members who return ballots, this still does not mean a strike will be called. Because then it’s up to the National Board to decide if and when to call for the work stoppage. In other words, Hollywood is still a long way from another strike. But the timing could threaten the Golden Globes and Academy Awards again. SAG’s and the AMPTP’s statements are below:
Los Angeles (October 19, 2008) – The Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors today passed the following resolution at its quarterly plenary in Los Angeles:
“In hopes of moving the Theatrical and TV negotiations forward, the national board hereby takes the following actions:
SAG will formally request a federal mediator be brought into the negotiations.
The Board adds four new members to the National Negotiating Committee, two from the Hollywood Division, one from the New York Division and one from the Regional Branch Division.
The Board authorizes a referendum and accompanying educational information be sent to the members requesting their authorization for the National Board to call a strike in the Theatrical and TV Contract, at such time as the Negotiating Committee determines in its sole discretion that the mediation process has failed.”
Adopted 96.72% to 3.28%
Approval of the strike authorization would require 75 percent approval of members who vote.
“We hope mediation will help move this process forward. This action by the board demonstrates our commitment to bargain with the strength of our unified membership behind us. Economic times are tough for all Americans, but we must take a stand for what is fair,” said Screen Actors Guild National President Alan Rosenberg.
“Our number one goal remains securing a good contract without a strike,” said SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen. “I am pleased by the board’s strong show of support for the national negotiating committee and look forward to meeting with the federal mediator and the AMPTP committee as soon as possible.”
Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) negotiating committees met for 44 days of formal negotiations and have not yet reached a successor agreement to the TV/Theatrical Agreement that expired June 30, 2008.
The board further resolved to add four new members to the negotiation committee, two from the Hollywood Division, one from the New York Division and one from the Regional Branch Division.
The AMPTP responded:
The AMPTP has successfully negotiated four major labor pacts with Hollywood Guilds this year, and we would like to close a fifth with SAG. That said, there is simply no justification for SAG to expect a deal that is in excess of what the other Guilds negotiated in better economic times. No matter what SAG does – whether it be authorizing a strike or following a different approach — it will not change the harsh reality that currently confronts our industry.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
To “Wake Up” -
The Screen Actors Guild was formed during The Great Depression.
The Negotiating Committee kicked it back to the Board because there are new Board members. They already had the authority to call for a strike authorization without Board approval, but they didn’t use that power in case the Restore Respect folks (oops, I mean Unite For Strength) might end up crying foul for not being consulted.
They’re setting up a situation where the AMPTP looks more and more like the bad guy to the actors to make a stronger case for a strike authorization. Or maybe, just maybe, the Federal Mediator will cause them to budge. It’s the AMPTP that stalled all these months, not SAG. These things sometimes take time. No sense rushing into something that’s going to affect WORKING actor’s lives for the next 20 years.
Bravo to SAG to hiring a federal mediator. Note to most of us, a federal mediator helps to get a deal done, but SAG couldn’t hire one last year because focus was on the AMPTP trying to kill television by forcing writers to strike which almost happened. At this time last year we were 15 days away from the writers strike and the AMPTP was trying its best to not negotiate a deal with the writers. Yes, SAG should have hired a federal mediator before this week, but I would have put the timeline somewhere in the middle of this past April.
Still hiring a federal mediator now is a classic example of being better late than never. It says two things, We want to get a negotiated deal done that doesn’t look like a last offer demand from the AMPTP, and we want to avoid a strike while trying to get that deal.
Nick Counter and his goons can be lucky that SAG isn’t requesting federal arbitration. Negotations haven’t occured since August 17 which was over two months ago and it is clear that, while the AMPTP companies would get a key concession, the arbitrator would rule in favor of SAG. This is a silly standoff that the AMPTP has to put an end to now. They can do that by pulling that final offer from the table and work with the mediator and SAG to get a deal done that benefits everyone.
This is just a supplement to my previous post but October 20 last year was a Saturday so there wasn’t any real strike news to report but Nikki did post this tidbit regarding the moguls wanting a strike.
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/hollywood-moguls-sound-strike-happy-see-new-tv-season-as-dead-already/
This time around, I don’t think Jeff Zucker or NBC would want a strike due to the ratings that NBC is getting for SNL and maybe for 30 Rock this season.
Just to clarify something that Nikki stated in her story: SAG only needs a 75% “yes” vote of eligible members who respond to the ballot, not 75% of the entire eligible membership.
The decision to bring in national mediators is an excellent compromise, and it proves that the SAG negotiators are doing everything possible to avoid a strike. Some of you loudmouths bitch about the possibility of a strike, then you bitch about an alternative to that possibility. Tell me again what a great asset you are to this industry…?
Intelligent people know better. The current economy, which the AMPTP is now whining about, has absolutely nothing to do with contract negotiations. They’re obviously scared of a strike – and they should be. Their response to SAG’s statement make me laugh. A six year-old could have written a less whiny response about the dog eating his homework. The only “harsh reality that currently confronts our industry” is that management is attempting to break unions, motivated by greed.
We (SAG) had a great and positive national meeting today. Kudos to all of those who have given of themselves to do everything possible to move forward with the negotiations. As witnessed today, your membership is behind you all the way!
I think the Mediator move is a positive one, especially in light of the economy. It’s saying “hey we really don’t want to have to do that, let’s work this thing out”.
There is no “passing the buck” here, or hot potato as stated by earlier posters. It was wise and sound to get the temperament of the “new” national board before moving forward. It brings solidarity to the proceedings and shows that although a slight shift in the board makeup has occurred the core principles and the major sticking points are still what we are fighting for.
And, contrary to the poster above MM, who muses about 1/2 cent download extra, there is more important issues here than incremental increases (which technically for theatrical/tv production, these have already been agreed to). And contrary to mike e b who states “no one in SAG can seem to agree on anything”, I must respectfully disagree.
First, as passed (68-0) this summer and supported by the newest slate’s board members, the Board resolutions regarding SAG’s core principals state:
July 26, 2008:“It is a core principle of Screen Actors Guild— That no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any SAG agreement and; That all work done under a Screen Actors Guild contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused.“
68-0, with support from the newest board members as well. Sounds like agreement to me.
So, with that, SAG is fighting principally on three major issues:
1. Force Majeure, a protection for actors held by contract to a suspended production, which has been in the codified language since 1937. The studios want to roll this back as they have stated and have been, so far, unwilling (save one company) to hold up to their word with regards to those casts affected last year.
2. Coverage on all new media productions regardless of budget level. SAG has stated they are willing to work out contract rates based on budget level and other provisions to make it work. SAG has been very successful in recent years in working with productions of varying budget levels. Sometimes, it’s not about money, but about basic protections for the actor. As we all know New Media isn’t going away, and it will within years become the main media. As evidenced by previous contracts, once you give up something, it is almost impossible to get it back. I mean, come one, are we really willing to allow Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros, Sony, etc to do NON-UNION work?!!. I for one cannot understand why the other unions don’t see this as a major issue.
3. For all work done in New Media, there should be a residual paid for re-use. Where is the stupidity in asking for that? Now, many people have argued there’s no money in new media at this point, no revenues are available to pay residuals. The producers have argued that they can’t have growth in New Media if they have to pay residuals at this time. Hogwash. It’s a percentage based system. It grows with the industry. Set a reasonable percentage and viola, it’s done.
Yes, the economy is rough, the stock market is nuts, the housing market is in ruins…these are short term issues. What SAG is doing is looking at the long-term bigger picture. Who wouldn’t want to negotiate in fatter economic times, but does that mean in leaner times we allow the AMPTP to take advantage and leverage us into non-union work and residuals that can’t buy dinner for one’s family? They don’t think we will strike. Pray we don’t have to. I stand firm and in solidarity with SAG.
Given the deep differences between the two parties which govern our Guild, I believe that this is a smart, bi-partisan compromise. The centrist New York Division called for a federal mediator several weeks ago. Membership First (M1) seems to have made a major concession to NY, the Regionals and the newly elected Unite-for-Strength (u4s) Hollywood Board members.
If the fed mediation plan doesn’t fly, then M1 can rightly say that the time is coming to lay the groundwork for a strike authorization vote.
What is also impressive to me is the instantaneous reaction of the AMPTP.
When L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa offered to facilitate negotiations during the writers’ strike, the AMPTP brushed him off without ceremony.
Today they wasted no time in blowing off the federal government. Did they weigh their response? Did they blink?
Is this their way of winning hearts and minds?
I think the Mediator move is a positive one, especially in light of the economy. It’s saying “hey we really don’t want to have to do that, let’s work this thing out”.
There is no “passing the buck” here, or hot potato as stated by earlier posters. It was wise and sound to get the temperament of the “new” national board before moving forward. It brings solidarity to the proceedings and shows that although a slight shift in the board makeup has occurred the core principles and the major sticking points are still what we are fighting for.
And, contrary to the poster above MM, who muses about 1/2 cent download extra, there is more important issues here than incremental increases (which technically for theatrical/tv production, these have already been agreed to). And contrary to mike e b who states “no one in SAG can seem to agree on anything”, I must respectfully disagree.
First, as passed (68-0) this summer and supported by the newest slate’s board members, the Board resolutions regarding SAG’s core principals state: July 26, 2008:“It is a core principle of Screen Actors Guild— That no non-union work shall be authorized to be done under any SAG agreement and; That all work done under a Screen Actors Guild contract, regardless of budget level, shall receive fair compensation when reused.“
68-0, with support from the newest board members as well. Sounds like agreement to me. (continued in next post)
As regards playing the trump card earlier – remember the AFTRA deal? That was seen as a de facto referendum on the deal. There are enough SAG/AFTRA dual card-carrying members that they could have easily voted down the deal. SAG likes to think that AFTRA stabbed them in the back, but the truth is: most of their members will take this deal. So there is no trump card – the margin to get a strike vote (I think the number is 75% of 120,000 members) is so much higher than it was to get the AFTRA deal shot down (I think that was something like 60,000 dual members). It’s more empty threats from Rosenberg and Allen, and the AMPTP has called their bluff.
SAG is poorly run. The union should have tried to settle long ago for a realistic agreement. To strike now would be disasterous for the industry and all involved. The WAG’s strike’s effect is still lingering over the community and if SAG strikes, the blow will have a negative impact for years to come.
The whole board should be purged.
From the Industrious Dung Beetle:
(The label “termite” is not intended as an insult. It’s a technical term from the field of union-busting. “Union-busting” itself is a crude phrase, though. Its practitioners, including termites, prefer “Winning Workplace Freedom.”)
I assume the following are Termites, working for Union Busters, Inc. Some may be paid professionals. Others may be auditioning for the role (often poorly) — think of them as apprentice Termites:
“will,” WGA Writer, “Sue West;”
“oy vey,” DGA BTL, Tom Ligon;
WayBelowTheLiner, stringfellow, AA;
Want To Keep Working, Brian, Bill Gray;
Transpo; Bye, Bye Hollywood; C.;
Mr. Eagle, andy, WTF;
Wake Up, Chris, Red Golde;
JD, LP, MM;
mike e b, SO OVER IT, Matt C and mary.
And so many more. You can probably discern other Termites, using your own detection skills. One reliable clue is the toxic level of spite.
If you want to read informed, rational analyses, then, in my opinion, you should look for commentators like mheister, Thomas Frank and Ace (when he/she is not flinging rude epithets).
Go to the following blogspot for an analysis of what Union Busters, Inc. has been doing to S.A.G. since the beginning of the writers’ strike:
http://www.USActorsOnScreen.com
The name of the essay is
“Reverse Engineering Reveals 5-pronged Plan to Cripple S.A.G.”
I posted it not long after the writers’ strike.
The more recent piece at the top of the blog page is called
“Judging Amy Brenneman.”
You’re welcome to post your thoughts.
Comment by Dave Clennon — October 19, 2008 @ 12:54 am
The mediator thing is a last ditch effort for the current SAG negotiating team to sign a contract with the AMPTP without completely being humiliated. To argue the point about whether SAG’s negotiating strategy was good or bad is ridiculous. It was clearly abysmal. The SAG team did not think long term before the contract was up and then, unsurprisingly, could not think long term after that. Obviously, with the WGA having sucked all the air out of the room (to little ultimate effect) the strategy should’ve been to sign a contract and then carefully plan for the next negotiation.
But SAG’s internal politics made such actual planning and strategy impossible.
Everyone argues about whether or not the economic slowdown should (in reality) affect negotiations. But the point is moot. SAG will not get 75% of a strike authorization vote and they know it. Even if they did SAG desperately needs industry and public support to successfully strike of which they will get absolutely none.
This is painfully to obvious to all except for “Ace” and a few other cheerleader types (God Bless ‘em…)
The AMPTP is obviously and clearly the bully here, but on SAG’s side this is why if you’re going to strike, you strike immediately. Otherwise you get caught in this limbo where everyone gets war weariness and nobody wants to pull the trigger. There’s been a defacto strike in features for the last 8 months anyway. On the other hand the studios seem almost gleeful over their inability to make movies, which more or less indicates the amount of confidence they have in themselves and their business models. Really, everyone here is just trying their hardest to kill the golden goose.
To “Chris” above:
*laughing*
“Empty threats”? “Bluff”? Sir, you are so misinformed, somebody ought to take your keyboard away from you. To wit:
The strike authorization: 75% of those who vote, not of the entire 120,000 membership body.
There are approximately 70,000 AFTRA members, approximately 40,000 of whom are also SAG members (primarily actors). The other 30,000 are DJs, game show hosts, newscasters, etc (some of whom are also card-carrying SAG members), and they all have an AFTRA vote as well. The contract “deal” with the AMPTP was fine with those other members as the particulars about income and residuals doesn’t apply to them. The AFTRA “referendum” passed – barely – because AFTRA wanted it to pass. Madames Reardon and Hedgepeth have other issues besides taking care of the needs of their membership. (Still, nobody has been able to tell me who counted those AFTRA contract authorization votes…)
And because of your lack of understanding on these issues, issues for which the numbers have been posted countless times, you’re obviously not paying attention nor are you a SAG member. Consequently, you would have absolutely no idea how many SAG members “would take this deal”. It’s not even “a deal” – it’s merely “an offer”, and it will not be accepted by SAG. This opinion has also been supported in so many ways. (I hope they printed a ton of copies of that offer, btw. WB could use an improvement in toilet paper quality in the restrooms on their lot.)
As Archie Bunker used to say, “Stifle yourself.”
If sag strikes you can say goodbye to any middle class in movie business.
Wow, good thing we’ve got a Federal Mediator coming in to solve this thing. I mean, it was so much help during the writer’s strike, there’s no way this plan can fail now.
come on sag. you should have had the strike authorization vote in hand when you started negotiating. what other leverage do unions have? all you’ve accomplished right now is a “de facto strike” that has cost all of us in the industry thousands of dollars. nothing has been accomplished and your credibility has suffered. you’re going to end up settling with nothing better than the final offer after causing financial ruin to all of us “below the line” workers. take the offer, get solidarity in your union and negotiate in 3 years when the worse financial crisis since 1929 has recovered. sometimes the cost of being right has to be considered for the well-being of the entire industry.
S.A.G. stands for “Stupid Assed Guild” How sad!
Did you hear that the studios want to give good quality cameras and equipment to college students and youtube types to make pilots? All nonunion new media of course – because the cost is under the amount the studios set for union work.
Writer, directors, crew, and actors, what are you going to do when these kids are taking your jobs?
Sounds like the networks have found the next best way to keep costs low while developing new shows after endless reality shows run out. Don’t worry, I’m sure there will some staff writing jobs available to work under one of these 19 year old showrunners to keep the low budget train rolling. Everyone else, good luck.
I guess we should spend more time going to those auditions for USC student films and scenes. Today’s “good will hunting for my directing class” will be tomorrow’s job offer. Still won’t be able to pay the bills, though.
Regarding joint SAG/AFTRA cardholders not voting down the contract. We all know not everyone votes in any SAG or AFTRA vote,no matter how important the issue, because of different reasons. So to say just because there are a large number of registered joint members they could have struck down the contract ratification is not taking into account that not all joint members actually voted.
I received the DGA Monthly Magazine four days ago. I read an interview with Brian Grazer, top independent producer, and one half of Imagine Entertainment, with his partner Ron Howard.This is a guy who knows as much about budgets in Hollywood and who gets paid what as anyone.
One thing stood out: Grazer, asked about the digital future and new media in general, says one major feature of it is:
“there would be less compensation for artists. It won’t limit artists. In fact, it will expand their possibilities for making things inexpensively. But overall, it will impact artists’ compensation in a negative way. So there could be less incentive for the very talented artists to continue to create original intellectual property. You might just go, ‘Jesus, if my movie’s going to be shown on a three inch screen, maybe I’ll just move to the desert.’ ”
Now, this is in THE DGA MAGAZINE – yeah, the same DGA whose President, Michael Apted was the first to accept the new media “template” that is now being forced down SAG’s throat, and yet, in their OWN magazine, one of the industry’s leading producers says openly that “hey, yeah, you can make stuff cheap (digital) but you’re not going to get paid much.”
Now, if anyone out there doesn’t see this as a warning shot off the bow of SAG’s future and the future of the middle class actor’s (let alone directors and writers) to make a decent living, then you’re just not paying attention.
Notice, Grazer says nothing about PRODUCERS loss of revenue, he only says artists – us – will just have to adjust to the new reality: non-union workers ALLOWED IN THE FIRST PLACE by Michael Apted and the DGA, then accepted by the WGA and AFTRA, making content for nickels, that the producers will then try to sell the living hell out of under this great new formula that pays actors shit.
Here it is, from the horses mouth, anti-SAG, pro-AFTRA shills. This IS the new world order, UNLESS SAG STOPS IT.
It is VITAL that SAG be the union, the ONE union, smart enough and with enough balls to INSIST that actors get tied into the producers profit stream for new media, from first dollar and first airing and that residuals be fair. This is all achievable via a simple percentage formula.
Brian Grazer is essentially saying: you are NOT going to be tied into OUR profit in the significant way you have been in traditional media. He’s TELLING us we’re screwed folks – but we’re NOT screwed yet.
SAG needs to do whatever is necessary to stop this union busting power play by the AMPTP in its TRACKS. Fine, try the mediator. However, does anyone out there think the mediator will be accepted by the AMPTP, and, if he/she is, does anyone think the mediator, suggesting a deal with any real upgrades for SAG at all, will make the AMPTP budge an inch?
That means a strike authorization, and if the threat of a strike isn’t enough, then an actual strike. It will devastate the industry, the producers know it, we know it – that’s why Peter Chernin publicly stated the other day that he thought a SAG strike is a REALLY BAD IDEA.
Yes – it is – FOR HIM.
Make no mistake – the AMPTP is shaking in their boots that SAG will have the balls to draw the line at this bullshit contract and strike if it needs to.
And Tom Ligon? the idea that you think you can speak for what the “overwhelming majority of SAG” will do about ANYTHING is a joke.
Hey Dues-Paying SAG Members:
You’re still not angry regarding the money YOU SPENT that went into the anti-U4S pamphlets? I heard they were mighty pretty, probably cost a nice dime to print.
And you’re not questioning how much of your dues money went into financing that ludicrous postcard mailer?
And nobody’s expecting the next round of missives, where SAG leadership is blaming the federal mediator for being in the pockets of big business?
Rosenberg & Allen have done a mediocre job of positioning themselves for a ‘Gee-Whiz, I wish it hadn’t come to this, but our hands are tied!’ party line for the past six months, and I’m disappointed in a fellow union for not smelling what they’re shoveling.
Keep in mind that it was SAG that turned down a LAST, FINAL offer (a three year old understands this concept, guys), then came crawling back, saying ‘Oh, no, we can really negotiate now.’ What had they been doing prior (except PISSING AWAY the money they require of their members?)?
Jesus. What a mess. And sorry guys, it’s time to quit pointing fingers and make a deal. Cut the crap.
SAG wake up. America is in a f**** recession. This is a short lived contract that will inevitably be renegotiated in better economic times. Calling a strike now will cripple the entertainment industry. It’s hardly on its way to recover from the WGA strike. there just isn’t enough coom ba ya for me to support another strike. I agree 100% w/ Red Golde re “Joe the Plummer”. SAG wake up. “There is simply no justification for SAG to expect a deal that is in excess of what the other Guilds negotiated in better economic times.” Alan check your ego at the bank door.
The only reason SAG is still playing games is because of the false promises and rhetoric that got their leaders elected in the first place. And none of them have the finesse or the guts to get out there and alter the expectations of the SAG membership.
The AMPTP’s patent response is hilarious.
Translation: “We dug our knee into the back of the other guilds until they capitulated. You shall fall as well, SAG! Oh and there’s this economic stuff, too, that we’d like to conveniently refer to also. We’ll use it as a shield to hide behind if anyone tries to call us on our brazen non-negotiable negotiations.