SAG waits for AFTRA ratification vote – pressure mounts to avoid another strike

By Brian Frederick

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 6/27/08 – - “Work stoppage will do a great deal of harm to those actors – - agencies will close – - pilots won’t get made – - more reality shows – - we all know the scenario,” George Clooney wrote in a letter to both unions. Like a peace negotiator working for a Nobel and not an Oscar, the words in United Nations rep and actor Clooney’s letter to both unions expresses the desperation closing in on the once all-powerful SAG union.

Not long ago, the 133,000 member Screen Actors Guild used to boss around the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. Today, their relationship has changed dramatically. AFTRA now calls the shots for its union members and is set to squarely solidify a contract with the studios this coming week while SAG is just days away from going without a contract for its members.

In an interview today on Los Angeles station KPCC, SAG member Ed Asner (Lou Grant – ‘Mary Tyler Moore’) stated that this all started when “SAG voted against a merger with AFTRA.” The smaller union (AFTRA) had sought a merger with SAG in order to make themselves stronger and SAG stronger or so they thought. Instead, SAG wanted to have no part of AFTRA except for negotiating new contract agreements with the studios near their expiration date. AFTRA wanted more, they wanted a commitment, they wanted to get married – - SAG said no.

Well you know what they say about a woman (union) scorned – - watch out!

When AFTRA realized that SAG had no real interest in working together except when it came time for negotiating contracts, an argument broke out with one union accusing the other of stealing it’s members. AFTRA took matters in its own hands and decided to rid itself of SAG and negotiate with the studios on its own this year, something SAG was not expecting. Not only did AFTRA negotiate on its own but they were able to sign a tentative agreement with the studios which are expected to be ratified in eight days by its members. Both unions’ contracts expire on June 30.

During the past six months while the AFTRA board was taking care of its members as they should be, SAG’s board was busy rallying it’s members against AFTRA – - not the studios. Of AFTRA’s 78,000 members, 44,000 are also members of SAG. The SAG board was hoping to convince those 44,000 to say no to ratification this week and that does not appear to be likely.

Considering the economic impact the $2.5 billion writer’s strike had on the entertainment community that many in the industry are still feeling, gas nearing $5 a gallon, foreclosures out of control, and a host of inflationary issues, AFTRA members will vote to avoid a strike, work with the studios, keep their jobs, and move on with their lives. In reality, the AFTRA agreement is not all that horrible, maybe not the greatest agreement but certainly put’s their board into a better position to negotiate for the next round in three years.

SAG on the other hand has put itself in such a deep corner that they have virtually no pull now or way out. The producer’s guild, the director’s guild, the writer’s guild and AFTRA have all moved forward and settled with the hand that feeds them. If push comes to shove you can bet that the studios will be happy to hire the entire AFTRA work force if SAG does go on strike, which this journalist believes will not happen. And you can bet that AFTRA would be happy to accommodate the studios by filling those vacancies.

Make no mistake, AFTRA will officially divorce itself from SAG this week. “It’s like congress, the Democrats vs. the Republicans,” said Alex Ben Block (senior editor for Hollywood Today) on 89.1 fm KPCC Los Angeles, in response to Ed Asner’s comments to host Pat Morrison.

“The cards are so stacked against SAG,” Asner admitted.

Block added that SAG will most likely ask for a contract extension and “the studios will give it to them.” In return when SAG does make an offer, the studios are now in a position to give SAG as little as possible and perhaps something worse than what the studios were originally offering SAG – about the same the other four guilds received. But SAG has been greedy and that’s okay if your greed translates into a higher revenue stream for your members. Its when greed back fires on you and you are left holding nothing, that greed becomes bad.

The studios will respond to SAG’s 11^th hour offer and “management (the studios) is going to tell SAG to take it or leave it,” said Ben Block.

Ed Asner further added that the studios intend to “castrate” SAG.

If SAG is left with less than what they could have received at the beginning of negotiations, you can be sure SAG’s members may want to castrate its President for getting them into this mess to begin with.