Actors' Family Feud Creates More Hollywood Labor Unrest

AFTRA approval weakens strike chance

(NEWSER) - Despite a campaign by the larger Screen Actors Guild to convince them otherwise, members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists yesterday approved a new contract with Hollywood studios, the Los Angeles Times reports. The ratification is seen as signaling weak support for an actors strike as SAG continues negotiations on its own deal with studios. More»

(NEWSER) - The Screen Actors Guild overwhelmingly approved a new contract tonight with the big Hollywood studios, ending an impasse that raised the threat of another strike in the entertainment industry, reports the LA Times. The approval, pushed by a group of top-tier actors such as George Clooney and Tom Hanks, comes a year after the previous contract expired. More»

(NEWSER) - Nearly 10 months after their previous contract expired, the Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood’s major film and TV studios have a tentative agreement for a 2-year deal, the Los Angeles Times reports. Few details of the deal, which must be ratified by the union’s 120,000 members, were made public. One contract rejected by the guild before the recession hit contained a 3.5% raise—not nearly what members will get now, analysts tell the AP. More»

Cautious restart means crew members struggle to find work

(NEWSER) - Even though the writers’ strike ended 2 month ago, TV production crew members are still working less than usual and feeling the financial burn, the LA Times reports. The networks took a cautious approach after the strike, putting many shows on hold until next season and ordering fewer episodes of those that returned. Location permits are down 43% from last year. More»

More moderate sister union will negotiate on its own

(NEWSER) - In a move that will complicate upcoming negotiations between actors and Hollywood studios, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists split yesterday from the Screen Actors Guild, its sister union for 27 years. AFTRA shares more than half of its members with SAG, but its more moderate contract goals pull it in a different direction, reports the Los Angeles Times. More»