No Hollywood strike -yet

America’s Screen Actors Guild is talking down concerns of a possible strike as the contract between SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expires at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday (US).

“We have taken no steps to initiate a strike authorisation vote by the members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply a distraction,” said SAG president Alan Rosenberg in a statement.

The parties have been in weekend talks, hoping to avert a crippling strike, just months after the Writers’ Strike.

“The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee is coming to the bargaining table every day in good faith to negotiate a fair contract for actors,” he said.

The union is seeking a higher pay for “middle-tier” actors, artists earning less than $US100,000 ($A104,300) a year, and are seeking a greater cut of profits from sales of DVDs and new-media sales. Studios have said the new actors’ deal must follow a framework similar to agreements hashed out with screenwriters and directors unions earlier this year, and have accused SAG of making unreasonable demands.

Meanwhile the other major actors union, the 70,000-strong American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), had already approved a deal with the AMPTP, effectively isolating SAG and its firm position.

The split has pitted A-list actors against fellow stars, with the likes of Tom Hanks, Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin siding with AFTRA and Jack Nicholson and Ben Stiller supporting the guild.

Last week George Clooney said, “The one thing you can be sure of is that stories about Jack Nicholson vs Tom Hanks only strengthens the negotiating power of the AMPTP.”

Once the deadline passes, it would seem there are a number of possible scenarios. They could negotiate a contract extension, which could be by day, week or month, and keep talking; the studios could lock out the actors; or SAG could seek a strike-authorisation vote from its membership, which will be at least a two-week process as the negotiating committee must vote on whether to bring a strike.

Most believe nothing will eventuate until July 8 when AFTRA members have to approve the deal with their union -and SAG members are telling them not to.

Source: AAP / Yahoo, Hollywood Reporter