The Screen Actors Guild has announced it will ask its 120,000 members to authorize a strike vote.
Here, in a nutshell, is what brought us to this moment: The AMPTP, which represents TV and motion picture producers, has been trying to not pay much, if anything, for the reuse of old shows and film as well as the production of new material for "new media." In this case, that term applies primarily to distribution via Internet but can and will encompass a number of other forms. This is more than a matter of not wanting to share newly-found revenues. Actors make a large part of their incomes from residuals when their work is reused in so-called "traditional" venues, like when a TV network reruns a show. The studios are trying to take the position that as they shift such reruns from the traditional venues to new ones, the old residual payments will be replaced by little or nothing.
There are other issues but that's the biggie. It was a biggie in the lengthy Writers Guild strike of not that many months ago, and we wound up with an okay deal, as did the Directors Guild. The AMPTP has offered what they claim is a similar concession to actors…but the SAG leadership feels it's not comparable and not enough.
Most years, SAG negotiates its contracts in lockstep with a sister union, AFTRA — The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. This year, that alliance splintered and AFTRA leadership, which was much more reticent to strike, went in on its own and made what SAG's leadership and many onlookers consider a tepid and insufficient deal. The Producers then said, in effect, "SAG can have the exact same deal or they can go to hell. We're not negotiating any more." And while the two sides have met repeatedly since AFTRA settled in May, the AMPTP hasn't notably improved the offer. Which is why SAG is now asking its members to authorize a strike.
In my opinion, SAG is correct that they're being forced to accept a crummy deal. In an ordinary year, it would be all-out war, and an actors' strike would be so thorough and militant that the AMPTP would scurry to make a better offer. But this is no ordinary year; not with the AFTRA split and undercut and not with the economy turning rancid on everyone. I hope I'm wrong but SAG seems divided, dispirited and full of internal strife with competing factions blaming one another for the mess they're in. The studios probably feel they can sit on their "final offer" and wait for the union to crawl back and accept it.
At the moment, the timetable for a strike is unknown. SAG's intention to take a strike vote was announced yesterday. That can take 30-40 days and in this case, the ballots will probably not go out until the union has a chance to prepare an extensive informational campaign to rally its membership. So we could be looking at some time in late January for a walkout, which means we may once again see awards shows like the Golden Globes and the Oscars held hostage.
That's if they vote to strike. SAG's bylaws require a 75% strike authorization from its members in order to go out. In the current climate, that may not be attainable. If they do get it and do walk, they will not shut down all production because some TV shows are covered by AFTRA and can therefore continue.
As you may be able to tell, I don't have a good feeling about this. Stay tuned.