Divided Hollywood actors union nears boiling point

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSTRE50907Y20090110

Fri Jan 9, 2009

By Steve Gorman

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Moderate board members of Hollywood's deeply splintered Screen Actors Guild are expected to try next week to oust a contract negotiating team they see as too militant and cancel a strike authorization vote in stalled labor talks with major studios.

Although union support for a strike referendum appears to have eroded as the economic recession has worsened, the outcome of a pivotal two-day SAG board meeting that starts on Monday in Los Angeles is far from certain.

SAG's 120,000 members have been without a film and prime-time TV contract since their old labor pact expired on June 30, hours after studios presented union negotiators what management called its final offer.

That deal essentially mirrors the terms accepted by several other Hollywood labor groups, including a smaller actors union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

But SAG and the studios remain at odds over points that center on how actors should be paid for work distributed over the Internet.

Insiders and labor experts see SAG leaders as unlikely to go ahead with a vote asking formal permission from rank-and-file members to call a strike if necessary.

FULL story at link.

[Historic NY]

1. Will the Preznut order them not to strike also?