Screen Actors Guild Takes Step Closer to Strike Vote

• Nov 22, 2008 11:45 AM ET
• by Jennifer Holland

The Screen Actors Guild announced Saturday it plans to seek support from members to pursue a strike vote, after talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed again.

In a statement, the union said it "will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum." SAG aims to empower its negotiating committee "to bargain with the strength of a possible work stoppage behind them."

SAG, whose 120,000 members have been working under a contract that expired June 30, called the producers back to the table in hopes of avoiding a repeat of the writers strike that shut down the TV industry for 100 days earlier this year and cost the Los Angeles area economy an estimated $2.5 billion.

The actors and producers disagree over compensation concerning work reused or made for the Internet. AMPTP wants the union to follow new pacts already signed with the other major actors union, as well as the writers and directors.

In a statement, the AMPTP said it "accepted the federal mediator's invitation to meet with SAG in hopes of concluding our seventh major agreement of 2008." After meeting Thursday and Friday, "the parties were unable to reach an agreement."

A strike is still far from happening. SAG needs more than 75 percent the guild's membership to be approved, and the final decision to strike would lie with its national board.