Is the Threat of a SAG Strike Over?

Is the Threat of a SAG Strike Over? L.A. Image via Wikipedia

I’ve been concerned about the possibility of a SAG Strike for a long time now, along with many of the 120,000 Screen Actors Guild members (and parents) and many of the people who live in the Los Angeles area.

A SAG Strike would be disastrous for the Los Angeles area and the entertainment industry. It would further affect the US economy, already in a terrible state.

I was happy when SAG members voted in favor of the new SAG Commercial Contract a few weeks ago.  And ballots to vote on the new SAG Theatrical Contract are due back from SAG members by June 9th.

Provided SAG members vote to accept that contract (and I hope they will), maybe life will start to get a little bit back to normal.

But many people are struggling financially because of the recession, and I think it is particularly bad here in Los Angeles. SAG is even having to cut employees due to the lack of funds due to the decline in tv and film production.

Small companies are folding or just hanging on by a thread, many people have lost their jobs, and many contractors don’t have enough work to make their mortgage payments. And many of these companies in L.A. depend in part or entirely  on the entertainment industry for their business, and the threat of a SAG Strike has just been making matters worse.

So, is the threat of a SAG Strike really over?

It certainly looks like the threat of a SAG Strike is over. The Theatrical Contract ballots are due back in a couple of days, so everyone should know the results in a week or so.

There are still quite a few people in SAG who are unhappy, though. According to an LA Times article, the new SAG/AFTRA Commercial Contract is apparently much the same as what SAG was offered previously and far from what SAG was pushing for. If it was not for the state of the economy, SAG members might have held out.

So, what about the new theatrical contract? After reading an article in the Los Angeles Times, it sounds less than perfect, too.  There is still major disagreement among SAG leaders over this contract as well.

In the Los Angeles Times article on May 20, 2009, by Richard Verrier entitled “SAG contract vote nears as leadership remains divided,” Alan Rosenberg was reported to have said, “Some of the things that we agreed to are just going to kill actors.”

And the results may not be what leaders really wanted for SAG members.  Their efforts are greatly appreciated by SAG members. But right now the security of having those contracts in place is certainly the best thing for our economy.

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