US: Screen Actors leadership calls for federal mediator

The response of the AMPTP was typical in its swiftness and arrogance: There is simply no justification for SAG to expect a deal in excess of what the other studios have negotiated in better times.

Recently, the studios have begun referring to the economic crisis and patriotism in an effort to browbeat the union and its members into accepting concessions: the end of residuals as actors have known them; non-union production of new programming streamlined on the internet below a certain production threshold; and a roll-back in force majeure protections. (See US: Screen Actors Guild may organize a strike vote)

The leaders also announced officially that they had called on the National Board to organize a strike authorization vote of the unions 120,000 members in case negotiations fail. The approval of 75 percent of those voting is necessary for a strike to be called.

SAG leaders have no intention of calling a walkout, but hope that an authorization vote by the members will somehow pressure the employers into weakening their resolve. If the strike vote fails, on the other hand, guild officials will claim they did everything they could and the members let them down.