Finally. "The nine-month stalemate between the Screen Actors Guild and producers came to an end Tuesday night as SAG members overwhelmingly voted to approve the union’s new TV/theatrical contract with the AMPTP. The final tally: 78 percent voted 'yay', and 22 percent voted 'nay'," reports the The Warp. "The contract includes a 3 percent wage increase, a .5 percent increase in pension and health contributions and residuals for new-media work similar to the guild’s home-video residuals." more ›

After more than nine months of working without a contract, the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers--they represent the studios--today announced that they have reached a tentative agreement. "Details of the agreement covering television programs and motion pictures will not be disclosed prior to review by the SAG national board of directors this Sunday," says SAG. If approved, it will be sent to members for ratification. more ›

Figuring union members would vote down any authorization to strike, Screen Actors Guild officials have suspended plans to protest contract offers from movie studios and producers. "The declaration represents an about-face and follows months of preparations for a strike vote that would have given the guild the power to shut down production of major studio movies and prime-time TV shows," reported the Associated Press. SAG's contract with AMPTP expired last June. more ›

It's official. After not coming to a contract agreement with producers and studios for nearly six months, mainly over new media residuals, the Screen Actors Guild is set to have its membership vote on authorizing a strike. more ›

The movie studios, represented by the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), published an ad this weekend accusing the actors of demanding more than all the other unions that have come to agreements with the group. In a statement, they said actors are "demanding that the entire industry literally throw out all its hard work because it believes it deserves more than the 230,000 other working people in the industry." more ›

The Screen Actor Guild's talks with the AMPTP, who represents movie studios, failed Friday night, even with a Federal Mediator trying to help. That led them to seek a strike authorization vote. Entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel over at Huffington Posts finds the move incredulous: "Still, it's almost beyond belief that SAG might strike -- over issues that amount to mere pennies for the next several years at least -- and would do so in the middle of the worst economy since the invention of talking pictures, literally. Unfortunately, Hollywood's a place where dreams aren't the only thing that comes true; sometimes nightmares do as well. Here's hoping that there's still time for a sensible approach to prevail." more ›

Following an unsuccessful period of meetings between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) at the request of federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez, according to the AMPTP, "the parties were unable to reach an agreement and the mediator has adjourned the mediation process." more ›

As the Screen Actors Guild and the movie studios, represented by AMPTP, meet for the first time in four months today, the Writers Guild of America announced that writers are not getting paid for new media residuals, which was the core issue they held a 100-day strike over. That can't help today's meeting, which will include a federal mediator, because new media is one of the big reasons that SAG and AMPTP have not come to a deal yet. more ›

Now three months without a contract, the Screen Actors Guild is trying to get the movie studios to restart talks by looking into "three make-or-break issues," according to Variety. But studio execs aren't budging saying SAG needs to change their position on those issues. "If we can reach agreement on three threshold issues, we can finish these negotiations," SAG wrote in an open letter. "Other issues divide us, certainly, but we believe those other issues can be successfully addressed once we have resolved these three threshold issues." The last face-to-face meeting between SAG and studios was on July 16. more ›

It was looking to possibly be a dramatic summer when the Screen Actors Union and movie studios were scrambling to renew their contract with each other before it ended. But the contract expired, no deal was made (but AFTRA's deal was) and here we are months later. more ›

The votes came in and were counted: members of AFTRA--the nation’s second largest performers’ union--overwhelmingly voted to ratify a contract with the AMPTP, who represents movie studios and producers, by a 62.4% margin. more ›

The Screen Actors Guild announced today that they will "present its response" to the "last best final" contract offer by movie studios and producers, who hope it will be accepted. With that, Nikki Finke opines: "... the Big Media companies are prepared to play hardball. I forsee a repeat of what happened during the lowest ebb of the writers strike: the AMPTP walks away from the talks and issues an ultimatum to SAG to take certain demands off the table. Whether this speeds up or slows down an eventual contract settlement remains to be seen." more ›

No deal has been met between the the Screen Actors Guild and the movie studios and producers, who have given their "last best final" offer. Right now, it's all about back and forth information sharing as they look over the offer. more ›

SAG and AMPTP met yesterday afternoon to discuss the new contract offered by the movie studios. Hours before the contract expired on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m., AMPTP offered the actors their "final offer," which SAG had many questions about yesterday. SAG is now going back to analyze and review AMPTP's proposal. But all of this is a waiting game until July 8 when the other and smaller actors union, AFTRA, announces if their disputed bad deal with the studios was ratified or not. "Then," Nikki Finke correctly notes, "Hollywood travels into uncharted territory." more ›

Now that the contract between the largest actors guild and the movie studios has expired, with talks to resume Wednesday, the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers is using a tactic on their website to show the economic pain the actors will supposedly cause if they authorize a strike. Two flash animation boxes on their homepage give out these statistics based on an Milken Institute study (for the writers strike) and Screen Actors Guild's reported earnings. more ›

Day 42 into the negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and no result. The contract expires Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. and the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. more ›

That was what the AMPTP reportedly said when negotiations first began with the SAG. But that's just one option that SAG says will not happen. The Hollywood reporter breaks down how it could play out if no deal is reached by tonight's deadline: "They could negotiate a contract extension, which could be by day, week or month, and keep talking; the studios could lock out the actors; or SAG could seek a strike-authorization vote from its membership, which will be at least a two-week process as the negotiating committee must vote on whether to bring a strike." more ›

Today, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers took out an ad (to the left) in both Variety and Hollywood Reporter stating their concerns over another strike. more ›

No, it is unlikely the drama of that the negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers (AMPTP) will bleed out on the streets. In a statement late yesterday morning, SAG president, Alan Rosenberg, had this to say: "We have taken no steps to initiate a strike authorization vote by the members of Screen Actors Guild. Any talk about a strike or a management lockout at this point is simply a distraction. The Screen Actors Guild national negotiating committee is coming to the bargaining table every day in good faith to negotiate a fair contract for actors." more ›

Movie studios are preparing for the worst, an actors strike, which could begin in July if contract talks go sour, according to the LA Times: more ›

Studio Reps: "'Frustrated and discouraged' at the guild's attitude." more ›

Screen Actors Guild members outside of Los Angeles are reportedly fuming over Monday's rally, which was billed as a pro-SAG "solidarity" event, but ended up having anti American Federation of Television and Radio Actor tones. Around 500 actors and supporters of the movement rallied outside SAG's Wilshire Blvd. headquarters chanting "Vote No!" more ›

Although the Screen Actors Guild said today was a "solidarity" rally, Variety plainly headlines the event: "SAG rallies against AFTRA, Guild member encourage to vote down deal." more ›

UPDATE: About 500 people showed for the rally. See photos here.

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If there's one scene Hollywood actors aren't eager to rehearse, it's the one where they march back and forth in front of studios in shifts, carrying signs and accepting honks and donuts from sympathetic supporters. It's something the Screen Actors Guild is hoping to avoid, particularly in the wake of the lengthy and costly WGA strike that held the local staple industry and its workers hostage for 100 days starting last fall. more ›

How many ways can you say “Today I walked in a circle for three and a half hours”? more ›

a writer's perspective more ›

Just moments ago, in a letter to its members, the WGA announced that writers have voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the “restraining order” and officially end the strike. The move comes on Day 100 of the labor dispute. more ›

a writer's perspective more ›