From the ArcaMax Publishing, Entertainment News Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/entertainmenttoday/s-371610-473018
LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- The Screen Actors Guild said its members will
work without a contract while it reviews what TV and movie producers
call their last contract offer.
The contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
Producers expired at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday but SAG issued a statement on
its Web site, calling for its members to keep working while it
reviewed the 43-page offer. In announcing its proposal, AMPTP
officials had said a "de facto strike" existed. The two sides are to
meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, SAG said.
SAG said an initial reading of the proposed deal appears it "appears
to be generally consistent" with the deal struck with the American
Federation of Television and Radio Artists. However, Doug Allen, SAG's
national executive director and chief negotiator, said the offer
seemed to fail to address some key issues, such as residuals for all
made-for-new-media productions.
The union said, however, "Work will continue and all SAG members
should report to work and to audition for new work past the expiration
date until further notice from the guild."
The producers say their proposal would be worth more than $250 million
in additional compensation to SAG members, "with significant economic
gains and groundbreaking new media rights for all performers."
The producers said their offer was consistent with the four other
entertainment industry labor agreements reached this year. They said
the offer also addresses other areas of concern expressed by SAG
members.