The Screen Actors Guild is planning to call for a strike vote on January 2, that would have their ranks curtailing their current television and movie projects, and undoubtedly putting scores of others out of work in the process. Their contract with Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers expired on June 30, 2008 and SAG members have been working without a new agreement for the past six months.
The issues get dicey in the midst of an economy that is in the toilet. A good share of actors ‘get that’ and have drafted a petition that has been sent to SAG National President Alan Rosenberg asking the board to cancel the strike-authorization vote for now. Their document said:
“We feel very strongly that SAG members should not vote to authorize a strike at this time. We don’t think that an authorization can be looked at as merely a bargaining tool, it must be looked at as what it is–an agreement to strike if negotiations fail. We support our union and we support the issues we’re fighting for, but we do not believe in all good conscience that now is the time to be putting people out of work.”
Those signing include George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Cameron Diaz, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman and Eva Longoria Parker. Others include Sally Field, Felicity Huffman, Rob Lowe, Kevin Spacey, Josh Brolin, Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Close, Donald Sutherland, Billy Crystal, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, Bradley Whitford and Helen Hunt.
On the flip side, there are 30 prominent actors who have signed a statement supporting a SAG strike vote. They include Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh, Jerry O’Connell, Rob Morrow, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Ed Asner, Elliott Gould, Valerie Harper, Robert Hays, Justine Bateman, Scott Bakula and Diane Ladd.
Chief beefs continue to be new-media residuals and other compensation related issues.