I fear for the movie industry as we are on the verge of another strike in Hollywood. This time it would be Screen Actor’s Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Here are the details: SAG and AFTRA’s contracts with the studios and producers (AMPTP, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) expire June 30, 2008 (yes, you read that right – 4 days from today), and there has been zero progress. The issues at hand are contract negotiations including key issues new media and DVD royalties.
There is another big issue which has kept the two unions from sitting back down with the AMPTP: fighting between the two. AFTRA has a potential deal they want to solidify by July, but SAG isn’t happy with their terms, and so there is a major battle happening between leadership and members, and there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of progress in the past few weeks.
Two observations:
First, They are attempting to negotiate royalties on new media and DVDs. Sound familiar? I wonder if the AMPTP has any feelings on this topic?
Second. THE UNIONS HAVE ALL THE POWER. They don’t have to negotiate. They can sit it out and say “bring me a better offer and I will let you know”
Hollywood cannot afford another strike. Unlike the writers strike, which stopped new films from being made because they hadn’t been written, this strike is the ACTORS. They have already been paid for what they are supposed to be filming. What happens when they walk off the set?
They cannot be sued for breach of contract because this is protected by their unions. So the studios, the crew, the support staff and countless other people who support these movies are going to be without work. AGAIN!
The actors don’t care because they wont lose one red cent over this. And they can just divert blame to their own unions saying they wanted to continue working but their unions wouldn’t allow it. And eventually they will return to their contracted work no worse for the wear with a fat contract.
I guess everyone else suffers while they all try to figure out who needs more money.
