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Hollywood studios and networks issued what they are calling their last, best and final offer to the Screen Actors Guild yesterday. They say they are finished bargaining and will accept no new proposals.
The new proposal came just six hours before the guild’s contract expires. The studios say that, while they will not accept any new proposals from SAG, they will meet with guild reps in order to answer questions about the offer, writes Adweek.
“Our industry is now in a de facto strike, with film production virtually shut down and television production now seriously threatened,” the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said. “In an effort to put everyone back to work, the AMPTP today presented SAG our final offer - a comprehensive proposal worth more than $250 million in additional compensation to SAG members, with significant economic gains and groundbreaking new-media rights for all performers.”
SAG members will lose $2.5 million a day in wages if they don’t accept the proposal, according to the Alliance.
A statement posted yesterday (Monday) on the SAG website says, “The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee has bargained with the AMPTP for the last 42 days and remains committed to negotiating a fair deal for actors as soon as possible.
“The AMPTP today delivered a last-minute, 43-page offer that upon initial examination appears to be generally consistent with the AFTRA deal, particularly in its provisions relating to new media. The union is reviewing the complex package and will prepare a response to management once that analysis is complete.”
The statement goes on to say that the offer does not appear to address some key issues important to actors. “For example, the impact of foregoing residuals for all made-for-new-media productions is incalculable and would mean the beginning of the end of residuals,” said Screen Actors Guild National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen.
The parties are scheduled to meet Wednesday, July 2, at 2:00 p.m.
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