Guild Wars

Oh Canada...

Los Angeles, CA (June 29, 2009)--In a statement released today, Roberta Reardon, National President of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), praised the announcement by the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) regarding ratification by ACTRA members of a new three-year Independent Production Agreement covering performers working on Canadian film, television and new media productions:

"On behalf of the more than 70,000 members of AFTRA, I congratulate all of our brothers and sisters in ACTRA who have successfully ratified a new three- year Independent Production Agreement covering their work in Canadian film, television and new media. We're pleased that ACTRA members were able to achieve yearly wage increases during a time of severe global economic crisis."

continued...

Finally a resolve to SAG's big dumb dramatic cliff-hanger. No actors strike. According to reports, the contract was ratified by a huge margin in a high turn-out.

From LAT:

The two-year contract was patterned after similar agreements negotiated last year with three other talent unions.

It includes an immediate pay increase of 3% and, for the first time, gives actors residual pay for shows that stream on websites such as Hulu that enable viewers to watch them free of charge.

SAG Cans The Negotiator, Doug Allen, SAG Asks For Less - Gets More...Theoretically, What's Going on with the SAG/AFTRA Contract?

We have all the election results for AFTRA:

Election Results for Los Angeles Officers, Los Angeles and National Board Members, and Convention Delegates

AFTRA LA President Ron Morgan Reelected

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 3, 2009)---The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced today election results for the AFTRA Los Angeles
Local.

Feel free to scan for your friends'/enemies' names after the break:

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SAG fired its Chief Negotiator Doug Allen...twice.

That's some good negotiatin'.

After years of trying to get Congress to hear the case for terrestrial radio paying royalties to artists and labels for songs they broadcast, it looks like it will happen this week.

Much to the chagrin of National Association of Broadcasters who according to Billboard, 'has long opposed paying such royalties under the claim that radio play serves as promotion that drives music sales'.

AFTRA sent us a lovely press release that spends an entire paragraph dropping names of important people then it explains what the release is about. We posted it after the jump and after we made fun of their release writing. Enjoy!

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The board at the Screen Actors' Guild sacked its chief negotiator Doug Allen.

We say - if he was really worthy of the post - he could have talked his way out of it.

LAT's article here. THR article here. Variety here. Nikki Finke here. TheWrap is here.

There was a 30-hour marathon meeting and lots of drama (hmf actors) according to most news sources. Words like 'peril' and 'justice' were undoubtedly thrown around. Moments that would have made for perfect close-ups and cut-aways - lost forever because of the fact that the negotiations weren't actually a movie.

Anyway, the strike looks like it won't happen. But our favorite paragraph - that basically sums up the whole episode - the perfect synopsis - if you will - was penned by LAT's Richard Verrier:

A combination of infighting at the Screen Actors Guild, miscalculations by the union's leadership and an unforeseen deterioration of the nation's economy turned what might have been a facile resolution on a new contract with the major studios into a no-win situation that has left SAG grasping for a face-saving measure.

That's some good writin'. Read the whole piece here.

The LA Times is reporting that the Screen Actors Guild has decided not to vote on whether or not to strike after the new year:

But in an e-mail to the union's board members Monday night, SAG Executive Director Doug Allen said he and SAG President Alan Rosenberg agreed to push back the strike referendum until after the board convenes a special meeting Jan. 12 to "address the unfortunate division and restore consensus."

Yeah, we were under the impression, because of stories in the news and statements made by SAG leadership, that the vote wasn't going to happen until after the Golden Globes that airs January 11th.

Hmf. Actors! Always have to be at the center of attention.

Nikki Finke posted the statement from Twentieth Century Television:

With all the uncertainty surrounding the stalled negotiations with SAG, TCFTV is indeed considering shooting its spring pilots under the AFTRA agreement. As for shows already in production, we are exploring every option including transitioning shows from SAG to AFTRA.

And the LAT's Showtracker blog offers this:

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Some top actors are pleading with the Screen Actors Guild to not call for a vote on a strike next month.

From NYT:

In a petition, more than 130 well-known actors - including George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin and Sally Field - urged guild leaders to halt the strike authorization vote.

"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," the petition stated.

Seriously, what other union is threatening to strike right now? Serious? We're in the middle of an economic meltdown. In the middle. Not even done. Still melting as we speak. And SAG doesn't feel like they're getting a fair deal?!

Bed-wetters.

Nikki Finke has all the details (as usual) on DHD.