Will SAG Strike?

There've been a lot of developments at SAG in the last few days: town hall meetings filled with members, many of whom in LA were pro-strike and in NY anti-strike; an anti-strike letter from A-list stars; an anti-strike op-ed in the LA Times; and more. There's another town hall meeting in LA in a few hours.

What's it all mean? I'll examine that question in a free conference call, open to the public, this Thursday (tomorrow) at 11:00 am Pacific Time/2:00 pm Eastern. Please dial in. Here's the information:

RBC Capital Markets Institutional Conference Call

Subject: Will The Screen Actors Guild Go On Strike And Why We're Concerned

Hosted by: David Bank, RBC Analyst

Guest Speaker: Jonathan Handel of TroyGould, Los Angeles

Date: Thursday, December 18, 2008

Time: 11:00 am Pacific/2:00 pm Eastern

Participants dial in: 877-871-4056

International Dial in: 416-620-5683

Replay phone number: 416-626-4100 or 800-558-5253

Replay available until: Thursday, December 25, 2008

Reservation #: 21405650

Follow Jonathan Handel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jhandel

Comments

[sisterdebmac]

Ask below the line actors how they feel. They just want to work. Yeah, it'd be great to make more money, but what are they supposed to do when they can't make ANY money because the town has shut down? AGAIN? Someone else said it. Right idea. Wrong time.

Alan Rosenberg ain't hurtin' for money. Who does SAG have in its leadership who can remember what it was really like to hustle for every booking?

[MrsWakely]

How about Anne-Marie Johnson, the Vice-President? How about Alan Rosenberg himself? You think, once he's done with this wonderful NON-PAYING gig trying to get YOU a LIVABLE contract, and he heads back out there to the audition hamster wheel, he's going to be getting offers? Of course not, he'll probably be black-balled by the producers for having the temerity to stand up to them, and he'll be just as likely to get work as any single other actor, save the 5% who get offers. How about David Jolliffe, the first chair on the negotiating committee? Actor for decades? Giving his time as a union leader, for free, to get good contracts for YOU. How about Frances Fisher - she's up there on the Hollywood board. Ask her how "easy" it is for her to get work. Please - educate yourself on the issues and the people representing you before you spout off.

[sisterdebmac]

I'm not in the industry myself. I was asking this question on behalf of friends of mine who are actors. This is what they're all asking right now. These are guys who have worked a lot until the last two years when everything simply dried up. The sad thing is that they're young and gifted and have nowhere to go. And they see no end in sight. All they see is an industry "caving in on itself" as one of them put it. They're starting to feel very hopeless. A couple of them are also writers so they've begun creating their own projects in order to stay busy because nobody is hiring. Right now all they hear is political garbage being spewed from both sides of the fence. They do not feel that their best interests are represented in this at all. And yes, one of them already took a job at Starbucks, just to pay the rent.

But thank you very much for you oh-so-very kind reply.

[InedaName]

If SAG strikes in this economic climate, they'll be lucky to get as much support as the auto industry got. Can anyone afford to not be working? This is not a good time.

[peachesmahoney]

Barf. The WGA strike nearly destroyed Los Angeles' economy costing the city billions of dollars. The SAG strike would be even worse. Putting more folks out of work during these tough times would be selfish and cruel. Ed Norton, George Clooney, Toby Macguire, Tom Hanks, Josh Brolin, and Eva Longoria all signed a petition against the strike and as a citizen of Los Angeles I have to say I agree with them.

[FreedomsRoad]

Meanwhile, the heads of every studio and the media congloms that own them are hardly suffering. Executive compensation and benefits are through the roof and you come down against labor? Maybe find out a few facts before you comment.

[peachesmahoney]

I'm far from against labor workers and definitely not pro-studio heads. From my experience during the WGA strike, one I supported by the way, I saw the business at the restaurant I work at decline. Big time. We cater to nearby studios and I watched friends who worked in other aspects of the business lose their apartments and homes. I watched small boutiques close and knew several people who had to move to survive. So I might not have any "facts" to report to you but I do know what I saw which was a tragedy that this town cannot survive for a second time.

[protagonia]

Right idea.

Wrong time.

[valread98036]

I think that after the WAG strike at the beginning of this year, and their win over contracts negotiations, was a clue that SAG might do the same. Now, all of us who respect this industry, and what SAG has done for the actors, in the last 75 years, hold our breathe for the final count, on the vote to strike.

This will delay all projects in film, theatre, and television. It will mean a loss of jobs for countless 1000's, who depend on work, from movie projects for their income. I hope that the deal goes through and SAG gets the contract they are asking for. I can only suggest to the fans, to support what the SAG are fighting for, and that their will not be a loss of jobs due to a strike, because of contract negotiations. Good luck to the SAG and all of our fingers will be crossed on the results of this important issue.

What do you think will happen during the strike, and will SAG get the contract they are asking for from the AMPTP?

http://www.sag.org/home

[valread98036]

What Problems Will Arrive Over Contract Negotiations Between SAG And AMPTP?
SAG president, Alan Rosenberg, and SAG Union representative, Doug Allen, is asking all SAG members, to vote yes, on the Strike Authorization today, December 17, 2008. Since, this writer doesn't have experience or all the evidence to make a case. I will just have to comment on my opinion for the decision to strike.

Several important issues are the lost of pay through New Media. New Media is where you can buy any new Plasa TV from a retail change, and it connects direct into your internet to order movies, or you can buy or download movies on the computer. This loss of unclaimed residuals doesn't go to the SAG members, but to the CEO's of huge broadcasting companies, who offer this extra convenince to their customers, us. If this is a new thing in the future, think of the loss of residual to the members of SAG, who have worked on those films.

Also, the protection of minors, infants, and any actor who is not protected, when filming a movie in any state, and is protected under the law of that state, not under union rules through contracts with SAG. The contract that AMPTP represented to SAG was not accepted because of the amount that the broadcasting companies made, are more than the SAG members would gain in loss residuals for New Media. The board members are urging all SAG card holders, to say yes, to strike.