That’s the SAG press release. The industry position, naturally, is different. They say the union’s demands are “unreasonable.”
But the important thing is this: The AMPTP is running this from pretty much the same playbook as they did the WGA negotiations. Start by demanding concessions. (In this case, revisiting DVD residuals was taken off the table by SAG at AMPTP’s request, same as the WGA did, with the idea of keeping the focus on digital/internet.) Then immediately walk away, claiming the union is asking for the moon and there’s no point to continuing.
In short, they’re going to deliberately force another strike, unless SAG (and now AFTRA) bends over and takes it in the ass.
Actors’ TV work contract expires June 30. Most high-profile scripted shows will be on summer hiatus by then, so the impact wouldn’t be felt immediately. The studios are in a much better holdout position than they were against the WGA.
Couldn’t the AMPTP just compromise and not give in to the demands of specific actors - i.e., Dane Cook, Will Ferrell, Jessica Alba, Martin Lawrence, etc.? That would be a win-win!
But then , the WGA got most of what they wanted in the end and the DGA didn’t even have to strike. Unless SAG is asking for much more than they were, they already *know *they can force the studios to submit. And the actors are so much higher on the Hollywood totem pole.
Oh, for the love of god. Fortunately we have many dvds in our library that we haven’t watched yet - should be enough to last us another ridiculous strike.
It’s the Internet again, primarily. Same as what was issue with the WGA.
And no, the WGA didn’t get “most of what they wanted.” They didn’t get totally screwed, but they got a relative pittance (for downloads, a third of a percent during an initial “marketing” period, followed by an increased percent, plus an insultingly tiny flat fee; no change on DVD residuals). Also, the DGA never strikes, because there’s no real solidarity in the union, either between high-status and low-status members (very unlike WGA/actors), or between themselves and other unions.
The specific date is June 30, and yes, this is the case. Shooting of the second half of the current season is expected to wrap in July, after the contract expires and the strike becomes a possibility. It doesn’t mean the strike will happen on day one; work can continue after the contract expires for as long as they want. The writers didn’t strike immediately either. But if negotiations are still ongoing, the stakes go way the hell up.
In the end, BSG might not be affected too much. The SciFi channel is making noise about delaying the airing of the second half of season four until Spring 2009 (!), so if the actors go on strike for, say, three or four months, long enough to torpedo “pilot season” for new shows in fall 2008 and thereby get some leverage, the BSG cast could come back in October or November, say, to finish shooting the last couple of episodes.
