A campaign by the Screen Actors Guild to persuade members of a smaller rival union to vote down a new contract has foundered, an outcome that could weaken SAG’s leverage in its negotiations with the Hollywood studios.
Members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists on Tuesday approved a new three-year, prime-time TV contract, dealing a blow to SAG leaders who had gambled heavily on defeating a contract they blasted as bad for actors.
The AFTRA vote — widely viewed as a barometer of support for SAG negotiators — doesn’t eliminate the prospect of a strike, but it leaves the guild with fewer alternatives. The protracted negotiations are causing uncertainty throughout Hollywood, holding up feature film productions and casting a pall over the upcoming fall TV season.
SAG leaders could still seek a strike authorization vote from members, but that option is considered risky given the deteriorating economy and strike fatigue after the 100-day Hollywood writers walkout that ended in February.
AFTRA leaders countered that broadcasters accounted for less than 10% of the union’s 70,000 members, 52,000 of whom are actors. AFTRA did not report how many of its members voted. The 120,000-member SAG represents the vast majority of those working on prime-time TV shows and, unlike AFTRA, actors who work in feature films.
AFTRA President Roberta Reardon called SAG’s actions “an unprecedented disinformation campaign” and praised actors for displaying “courage in the face of potential retribution by taking a stand against disunity.” She called on the unions to revisit the possibility of merging and jointly negotiating an upcoming commercials contract.
The contract ratified Tuesday was modeled after similar pacts negotiated by directors and writers. Although the accord includes pay hikes for actors and establishes payments for programs streamed on the Internet, SAG contended it didn’t meet such key bargaining goals as increasing residuals from DVD sales and ensuring that all Internet programs were covered by its contract.
But, soon people will come to know why that issue will be against the victims (As per the Institute of Medicine, about 100,000 people are killed by preventable medical errors a year, and 1.2 millions are severely injured by medical malpractice a year – how much compensation the victims get for such a horrendous behavior? Just about $20 billion a year! Victims are furious). If this issue is discussed at length, it would turn the 250 million consumers against the Republicans, who are mostly for the rich surgeons and hospitals.
Republican plan is much more fiscally-responsible, solves the problem within our free market system, without an entitlement program.
So basically, the American middle class is entitled to nothing from the government? I understand everybody’s concern with the deficit…but both parties are guilty at expanding it….you want to lower the deficit and still provide for the American people…try ending the cash cow called war…..just a thought….