SAG-AMPTP Mediation Fails To Produce Deal
Actors Guild threatens strike authorization vote yet again
By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/22/2008 6:45:00 AM
Two days of talks brokered by federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez failed to produce a deal between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
After the talks broke off, SAG issued a statement in which it dangled the threat of a strike authorization vote, yet it did not back it up by offering a timeline for the mailing of actual ballots.
“As previously authorized by the National Board of Directors, we will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum,” SAG said in a statement. “We will further inform our members about the core, critical issues unique to actors that remain in dispute.”
Even if SAG did invoke the authorization vote, that does not mean a strike would be imminent. First, 75% of the voting membership would have to authorize a strike, a result which even SAG leadership in the past has questioned whether would happen.
Then if members did vote to authorize, SAG leadership would not necessarily call for a strike immediately, but may rather use it as a bargaining tool to try and get a favorable deal done.
SAG: No Strike-Authorization Vote
06/29/2008SAG National Board: No Thanks, AMPTP
07/26/2008SAG Postpones Strike Authorization Vote
12/23/2008AMPTP Agrees to Mediation
10/23/2008
