SAG Negotiations To Resume

Is another strike on the horizon?

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume negotiations on Tuesday after a three day break. So far, the groups have been unable to reach a deal that satisfies both parties. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) reached a tentative deal with the AMPTP last Wednesday after negotiating separate from the SAG for the first time in 30 years.

SAG has not made public comments about the deal between AFTRA and the AMPTP, and the actors are maintaining a low profile as negotiations continue with the producers. AFTRA briefed the actors' guild on Thursday about their tentative agreement. "We are in the process of analyzing the AFTRA/AMPTP agreement and how it impacts our negotiations," SAG president Alan Rosenberg wrote in a statement. "We will continue to seek further clarifications regarding the agreement from both AFTRA and the AMPTP."

There are doubts that the SAG will reach a deal quickly. Rosenberg said there were "major gaps" during negotiations concerning issues such as royalty payments for DVD viewings and online clips. If the SAG plans to seek a strike authorization from its 120,000 members (which would require 75% approval), it will have to do so soon. The contract expires on June 30. The industry is already bracing for the possibility of a strike. No new films have gone into production since mid-April to avoid running over the possible deadline, and major shoots have been delayed until October in the hope that the issues will be resolved by the fall.

The original articles are from Variety, the Guardian and the Hollywood Reporter.

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