SAG Talks Speed Up As Deadline Approaches

Only a few days ago, it looked as if the talks between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Hollywood producers had stalled. However, a press release on Thursday indicated a desire by both sides to move quickly towards a resolution before the June 30 deadline.

"The committees will continue to negotiate continuously," said a joint statement released by the SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) (via Inside.com), "including possibly through the weekend - until a successful resolution has been reached, with no breaks in negotiations scheduled at this time, in an effort to meet the June 30 deadline."

"AMPTP and SAG/AFTRA negotiating committees spent the majority of the day discussing a comprehensive response by the producers on most of the major economic proposals from SAG/AFTRA," the statement said. This highlighted the major stumbling block in the negotiations: the disparity of the positions between the two sides over pay-rises.

The motive for the lift of the media blackout was apparently a desire to set the record straight about the events of the closed-door negotiations. "We will begin providing greater detail about the topics being discussed each day," the statement continued, "[in order] to avoid any inaccurate speculation that might occur over the next several days."

Reportedly, the large amount of media attention was a big impetus to speed up the talks. "The parties have perceived some pressure to get this wrapped up, and the talks have intensified," a source told Inside.com. "We got a lot of work done today. The talks have taken a sudden turn."

The studios have been reluctant to press ahead with production because of the uncertainty of the negotiations. "The lack of resolution has had a tremendous impact," head of Artisan Entertainment Amir Malin told Variety. "Everyone's confident there will not be a strike, but you can't go forward without that finality."

More information can be found in this Inside.com article or this Variety report.

Discuss this news item at Trek BBS!
 Add TrekToday RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation fan? Then visit CSIFiles.com!