SAG Inches Closer to Strike

After 27 hours of negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, it’s increasingly looking like SAG is heading toward a strike. Shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday morning negotiations for a new contract broke off, leading SAG to “launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum.” No time frame was given for when a vote would be taken but a strike authorization does not necessarily mean the union will instantly go on strike. Rather, SAG intends to use the authorization as a bargaining tool to give it more leverage in the negotiations. The union needs 75% of its members to vote in favor of strike for authorization. Much like the debate that led to last year’s writer’s strike, the conflict between SAG and the AMPTP revolves around payments for distribution through new media. "We remain committed to avoiding a strike but now more than ever we cannot allow our employers to experiment with our careers," SAG said.