No Strike Talk From SAG as Contracts Run Out

Posted by Dr. Cole Abaius (cole.abaius@filmschoolrejects.com) on July 2, 2008

OldWomenStriking

If you can remember back as far as November of last year, you’ll probably remember that the Writers Guild of America went on a little strike, refusing to write anything until they got a contract with the studios that recognized their demands. Sadly, since I went into a coma from eating nothing but hot dogs for ten months back in November, I can’t quite remember what those demands were.

Yesterday at 12:01 in the AM, The Screen Actors Guild contracts ran out. Does that mean they’ll automagically strike? No. First of all, SAG president Alan Rosenberg isn’t beating the drums of war the same way WGA Union Boss and hilariously insane person Patric Verrone was back before I started my hot dog binge. Secondly, and probably more importantly than insulting Patric Verrone, there’s a new contract on the table that SAG officials will probably take a few days to contemplate and commiserate on.

AOL News had a great story showing that talk of a strike was topic non grata around the SAG offices. Specifically:

“Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply distraction,” Alan Rosenberg said. Seems about as straight forward as it gets.

We’ll have to wait for a few days to see if the new agreement is, well, agreeable. For now, the situation doesn’t seem to have the urgency that the WGA’s contract woes did late last year. Probably because they don’t have Patric Verrone screaming so loud about striking that the mainstream media can hear. In fact, I’d be willing to guess that most people out there have no idea that their precious television shows and movies are once again in jeopardy. I’d go even further to guess that Alan Rosenberg doesn’t even consider them in jeopardy.

Up to this point, though, Rosenberg deserves a certain kind of praise. The union has had its own problems, but nothing along the lines of the colossal mismanagement that WGA saw at the hands of Verrone. Hopefully, SAG members will continue reading off cue cards instead of placards or we may see another late summer boon in bad reality shows. Fingers crossed. Plus, if they go on strike tomorrow, this post is going to make me look like an idiot. We’ll keep you posted.


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  • Chris
    I think also that SAG learned from the mistakes of the WGA strike, namely the fact that not many people who were outside the business really cared. For all their boisterousness and preening before the cameras, it didn't do much in the eyes of the public. Plus it didn't help that so many folks were breaking the lines to go back to work (though, many were hesitant to call Ellen Degeneres or late night talk show hosts "scabs").

    Add onto that that the majority of actors you see speaking out about this on the tabloid shows some of the top tier of the payment scale, a strike now would make the public care even less, and maybe even turn against certain actors.

    I think SAG is playing it cool, and doing all the right moves thus far.
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