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Hollywood actors' union postpones strike vote
2008-12-23
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The top US screen actors' union late Monday postponed for two weeks a vote on authorizing a strike, amid a major rift in Hollywood over a possible walkout, industry media reported. Daily Variety reported on its website that leaders of the Screen Actors Guild have pushed back what has become a highly divisive strike vote, ballots for which were to have gone out on January 2 and would have been tabulated on January 23. Voting now will be delayed until after a January 12-13 emergency meeting of SAG's board, said labor officials, who the union's national board must meet first in order to present a united front before sending out strike ballots. Several board members expressed concern that the contentious strike proposal has driven a wedge among Hollywood's acting community. "While almost 100 high profile members and 2,524 total members have endorsed the strike authorization vote mandated by the national board, more than 100 high profile actors and 1,373 actors have lent their names to the opposition campaign," said SAG's national executive director Doug Allen in a statement cited by Daily Variety. A strike authorization requires the approval of 75 percent of union members casting ballots. Among those opposing a strike so far are acting icon Robert Redford, Oscar-winner Russell Crowe and Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, each of whom signed a petition urging SAG's board not to hold a strike ballot. SAG leaders had planned to hold a ballot of the union's 120,000 members following failed negotiations with Hollywood studios. Although union leaders have said they want to avoid a stoppage, they say a vote giving them authorization to call a strike will give them greater leverage at the bargaining table. SAG's leaders have been holding out for a greater share of royalties from sales and showings of work screened on the Internet. But the anti-strike petitioners are calling on SAG leaders to accept a deal tabled by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), and to regroup for the next round of contract talks in three years time, citing the current tough economic times. The AMPTP says the actors demands are unreasonable and has refused to improve a final offer made in June, similar to other agreements reached with writers, directors and a smaller actor's union. The actors' union has been in a standoff with AMPTP since a previous contract expired in June. Fresh attempts to broker a deal foundered in November.
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