Hollywood Actors Reject Latest Labor Offer

(AP)  The Screen Actors Guild rejected the latest contract offer from Hollywood studios on Thursday but claimed it was willing to negotiate and presented a counterproposal.

Producers, however, didn't appear as willing to consider any revisions to what they called their final offer.

"We made it clear our final is our final and that we're not interested in further counterproposals," said Jesse Hiestand, a spokesman for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The two sides met privately for more than five hours before the AMPTP released a statement saying the guild was "unreasonably" seeking more than other unions. The session came as actors continue to work under a contract that expired last month.

The studios made their final offer last week, saying it provided $250 million in additional compensation over three years. The studios said they will not make any pay increases retroactive to July 1 if the deal is not ratified by Aug. 15.

Doug Allen, SAG's executive director and chief negotiator, called the $250 million estimate "highly inflated," claiming that proposed raises to actors' minimum wages would not benefit the higher-paid actors.

Allen said the guild made a "comprehensive counterproposal that adopted some of their proposals and offered alternatives on others."

SAG, the largest and most powerful actors union, represents 120,000 actors in movies, TV and other media.

It is seeking greater compensation for DVDs, something neither writers, directors nor a smaller actors union could secure in negotiations.

SAG also wants more say for actors when they are asked to endorse products in scripted shows.

SAG committee members are scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the situation. SAG officials said they will contact producers Friday afternoon.

AMPTP said in the statement that the guild should consider the consequences of not accepting the latest offer.

"The last thing we need is a long, hot summer of labor strife that puts even more pressure on a badly struggling economy and deprives audiences of the entertainment they clearly desire in such difficult times," the AMPTP said.

On Tuesday, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a smaller union with 70,000 members, approved a three-year deal for a handful of prime-time TV shows, including "Rules of Engagement" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

SAG, however, represents the vast majority of actors who work in prime-time TV shows and movies. Any work stoppage by its members could throw the industry into turmoil.

The guild and studios have said they want to avoid a repeat of the 100-day strike by the Writers Guild of America that ended in February. That walkout stalled production on dozens of TV shows and is estimated to have cost the Los Angeles area economy more than $2 billion.

The studios' position that it had made its final offer left open the possibility that it could declare talks that have reached an impasse. If confirmed by the National Labor Relations Board, the declaration would let studios impose certain clauses of their offer on the guild.

However, most of the proposed contract changes favor the guild, making it unclear if an impasse would benefit the studios.

The studios said the possibility of a SAG strike sent some film producers rushing to finish shooting or to delay projects for fear they would be shut down before filming was complete.

But even after the contract expired, on-location movie shoots were on the rise in Los Angeles, according to permitting group FilmL.A. Inc.

There were 101 shooting days on location in Los Angeles between July 2 and July 8, up from 97 days a year ago, it said, making the studios' claim that labor uncertainty had caused a de facto strike in Hollywood somewhat dubious.

AFTRA said its three-year deal establishes higher fees for downloaded content and residual payments for ad-supported steams and clips.

It also sets a 90-day deadline after ratification to develop rules that would have actors consent to the use of clips in a commercial market similar to iTunes.

The AFTRA deal boosts minimum wages by 3.5 percent in the first year of the contract, 3 percent in the second and 3.5 percent in the third. The increase is slightly higher than the bumps received by directors and writers.

The deal with AFTRA largely followed the script laid out in contracts approved by directors and writers. SAG and AFTRA had agreed to the same starting proposals but took different tacks with the studios, the first time they had negotiated separately for the first time in 27 years.

In March, AFTRA accused SAG of trying to entice actors in the soap drama "The Bold and The Beautiful" to abandon the federation. AFTRA said then it was in the best interests of its members to deal with the studios on its own.

Pressure for a speedy resolution to negotiations came from A-list actors such as Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro, who took out ads in trade publications in March that called for talks to start months ahead of the June 30 expiration of the contract.

SAG reached separate deals that cleared the way for more than 350 independent productions to raise financing and start work.

The agreements called for those companies to abide retroactively by the long-term contract eventually reached with the major studios.

[no2zeebas]

To michoncbs: banning unions would be a horrible mistake. There are many, with the exception of the Teacher''''s Union, that are quite useful and beneficial. How would you like to be fired for no apparent reason; maybe cause your boss dislikes you. Or what about not getting a cost of living raise for 5 years or so. You''''d be the first one to get a union started. Some are good, some are bad. But I''''m really glad that I work at a company that tries to look out for it''''s peasants.

Posted by Avigil2 at 04:58 PM : Jul 11, 2008


So what your saying is that you just want automatic raises handed to you and you want to be safe from being fired if the one that hired you and pays your wages does not like you? Typical union worker...

[avigil2]

To michoncbs: banning unions would be a horrible mistake. There are many, with the exception of the Teacher''s Union, that are quite useful and beneficial. How would you like to be fired for no apparent reason; maybe cause your boss dislikes you. Or what about not getting a cost of living raise for 5 years or so. You''d be the first one to get a union started. Some are good, some are bad. But I''m really glad that I work at a company that tries to look out for it''s peasants.

[no2zeebas]

Hollyweird peeps are the greediest bunch around...Fire them all...The so called "A" listers walk around with their noses so far up they almost drown in a light sprinkle...The first one to be fired? The blond bimbette from greys anatomy...

[minnick8-2009]

I didn''t realize Alan Rosenberg was so ugly. He needs to wash his hair; it looks awful. Maybe that is why he needs more money; he can''t afford shampoo.

[emilymhanson]

I personally would rather play WoW than watch TV shows. At least with WoW, you get some social interaction.

BAN All unions....they were fine during the start of the 20th century, but now they are the ones causing the high prices. Oil can''t be blamed for everything. GREED GREED GREED is the only thing unions are known for now.

[libsluv2spit]

what does liberal hollywood really have to offer society??

[evaine-2009]

Maybe they are good at their jobs, but so are millions of other people who don''t whine like insolent toddlers about more, more, more. When the writer''s strike occurred, we decreased our viewing to almost nil and have not picked it back up. We found other things that we had been neglecting.....reading, hobbies, getting together more often with friends, sitting outside, lots of things. It is a measure of how out of touch with reality many actors are that the Pampered Poodles of Hollywood greedily make such demands when the rest of us are struggling to buy gas to get to work and pay our bills to support our families. In the face of economic difficulties, TV is becoming disposable!

[mo005]

I think everyone should shut off the TV, stop going to the movies for a about six months. It would show Hollywood that their *** does smell like everyone else s. These stars and producers make way to much money and they know it. I also think since I make a certain product Hollywood should have to pay a royalty every time they use it, since its my craft and I made it my self. Kind like what they do with rerun''s. I stopped watching award shows about the time "Seinfeld" star started wanting a million an episode,or what ever it was. I just thought these idiots are not worth that kind of money. They pay them more so the sponsors charge us more for products because it costs them more in advertising. Its all *** if you ask me.

[fedup_w_pols-2009]

Propagandawood can wither to nothing for all I care. What a worthless lot of people and how they have managed to create this obsession with worthless actors and actresses. The country would be better off with less of you anyway. Pack your bags and change careers. Oh thats right you really don''t have any other skills but acting and 90% of you don''t really even have that going for you. This is why regardless of how aweful it is Reality TV is so popular. No vain big headed actors to pay more then they are worth. America turn off the TV and go outside and enjoy life, get a hobby, trust me after a week you will no miss TV. If you must just DVR the only shows you want to see then skip the marketing and save the time.