strike two
Crisis Averted (Sort Of) As AFTRA Reaches Deal with Studios
12:25AM Defamer Hollywood | Happy news emerged this morning from the deep, dank reaches of the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters, where it was announced the major studios have come to last-minute terms with AFTRA on a new three-year contract. Conveniently or not, the report comes a few hours before AFTRA’s former negotiating partners in the Screen Actors Guild were set to resume their own talks with the majors. And with AFTRA reportedly agreeing to conditions on new-media residuals similar to those accepted by the DGA and WGA during the latter union’s strike, SAG has until June 30 to determine if the terms are good enough for itself — or detonate! The! Industry! with another labour stoppage. More »
Actors No Closer to Deal as SAG, AFTRA Spar Over Clips
7:00AM Defamer Hollywood | After a week-long lull in apocalyptic mutterings from all sides of SAG and AFTRA negotiations with the major studios, a couple of new stumbling blocks have appeared en route to a deal. For starters, AFTRA national president Roberta Reardon today sent out a sobering e-mail to her members, both acknowledging her discussions’ ongoing news blackout while giving the rank-and-file plenty to leak to the press. To wit: Reardon writes that even AFTRA, which was expected to breeze to a new contract after SAG very publicly dug in its heels last month, is apparently having a hard time coming to terms with the majors on new media: More »
SAG Saves Best Acting For the Press as Negotiations Grind to Halt
5:45AM Defamer Hollywood | There’s only so much ledge-prancing, saber-rattling, gun-pointing madness a person can get away with spinning in the press, and at a glance, anyway, it appears SAG national executive director Doug Allen may be faking the labour funk a little too aggressively. Now that his union’s extended (and re-extended) negotiation period with the major studios is over, leaving AFTRA to step in and take everything it’s offered no-questions-asked, Allen kvetched to Variety today that goddammit — they were so close! Like, just a few hours away! No, really. He actually said that: More »
SAG Boss Just Wants ‘Social Justice,’ Preferably With Direct Deposit
4:20AM Defamer Hollywood | As noted here Monday, SAG president and all-around industry red-arse Alan Rosenberg never encountered a paper cut he couldn’t pick and peel into a festering scab. A lot of it is the institution’s historic dysfunction; less than 90 days from the expiration of its contract with studios, SAG has more factions, infighting and revenue disparities than the Jackson family. Nevertheless, on the second day of negotiations between SAG and producers, Brooks Barnes offers a revealing portrait of the Man Who Would Bring Hollywood to Its Knees If It Will Get Him in the New York Times:
Charlie Sheen and Friends Chip in to Help Ruin SAG Boss’s Weekend
2:00AM Defamer Hollywood | While most of the civilized world enjoyed an early-spring weekend about town, SAG president and press warlord Alan Rosenberg practiced his saber-rattling in anticipation of upcoming labour negotiations with the studios. Despite reaching out to AFTRA to rejoin them in talks starting tomorrow, such token detente couldn’t mitigate Rosenberg’s resistance pledged against everyone from mutinous actors like Kevin Bacon and Charlie Sheen to penny-pinching producers. And at least one high-powered, face-saving source is urging the union to stand down or face certain doom. More »
