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Tag Archives | Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers

Heated debate over Writers Guild tentative contract agreement

By Fronnie Lewis on Monday, March 21, 2011

The debate is heating up over the new Writers Guild tentative agreement with producers. Yesterday the negotiators for the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers reached the tentative agreement after only about two and a half weeks of talking. The producers must have offered a juicy deal with plenty of perks and money for the writers to jump so quick at an offer. That’s not what the critics are saying about this contract deal. Today the Writers Guild West posted an... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, contract talks, negotiations, screenwriters, writers, Writers Guild of America

SAG & AFTRA reach a tentative agreement with Hollywood producers

By Fronnie Lewis on Sunday, November 7, 2010

Some good labor news in Tinseltown. Early this morning it was announced a tentative deal on a new contract had been reached with the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Hollywood producers. Talks began on Monday, September 27, between the actors’ representatives and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. During a marathon bargaining session over the weekend, negotiators hammered out the details of a three-year pact, which begins on July first of next year. Some... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Hollywood, labor unions, Screen Actors Guild

Screen Actors Guild overwhelmingly approves new contract

By Fronnie Lewis on Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It’s been a long time coming, but finally the 100,000 plus members of the Screen Actors Guild have a new contract today. The votes were counted last night on a new two-year deal with the big studio producers, which covers, “…film and digital television programs, motion pictures and new media productions,” according to an announcement on the SAG website. Around 110,000 ballots went out to SAG members — and about 35 percent were returned. In the final tally, an overwhelming 78 percent voted in favor and only 22 percent against. This contract kicks in immediately.... Read More →

Tags: actors, actresses, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

Screen Actors Guild tentative contract ballots set to go out

By Fronnie Lewis on Saturday, May 9, 2009

Thousands of members of the Screen Actors Guild will soon get to vote on that tentative contract deal with the big studio producers. The ballots to eligible guild members will be mailed out later this month on Tuesday, May 19, according to a message posted on the SAG website by Interim National Executive Director, David White, and SAG Chief Negotiator, John McGuire. The old contract expired on June 30, 2008. After months of bickering between SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a tentative... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

Preparations underway for SAG membership vote on tentative deal

By Fronnie Lewis on Monday, April 20, 2009

After months of on again /off again talks and tons of haggling and sniping, the members of the Screen Actors Guild will soon get the opportunity to vote on a contract deal. Yesterday, the Screen Actors Guild National Board of Directors approved a tentative agreement with the Big Studio producers by a narrow 53 to 47 vote. SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers jointly announced the tentative deal on Friday, but details were not released until yesterday. The two-year contract expires in June of 2011, keeping SAG in sync with the WGA,... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Hollywood, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

A tentative agreement in the Screen Actors Guild labor dispute

By Fronnie Lewis on Friday, April 17, 2009

Hollywood is buzzing over the tentative agreement announced today by the Screen Actors Guild and the big studios. After almost 10-months of fighting over contract issues and tons of behind the scenes drama at SAG, there’s now a two-year deal, however, some hurdles still remain to be cleared before it’s a done deal. Both the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have announcements about the agreement up on their websites. Neither is offering details of the pact until it can be reviewed by... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Hollywood, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

Screen Actors Guild rejects producers’ last, best and final offer

By Fronnie Lewis on Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hollywood is once again facing a real life cliffhanger now that the Screen Actors Guild has turned down the producers’ so-called last, best and final offer. Remember a few weeks ago, the hard line negotiator in SAG was tossed out by moderates who felt they could better work a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Well, what the moderates got was a tough lesson in how the game of negotiations is played by the producers. In a statement on its website, the Screen Actors Guild admitted... Read More →

Tags: actors, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Hollywood, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

SAG and AMPTP talks back on again

By Fronnie Lewis on Wednesday, February 11, 2009

The Screen Actors Guild and the representatives from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are heading back to the bargaining table, according to a joint statement that appeared on the SAG website yesterday. The brief statement is below. “Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to meet on February 17 and 18, at the AMPTP offices in Sherman Oaks, California. We will have no further comment about the meeting.” The contract talks were scheduled to re-boot a week ago,... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

SAG and AMPTP contract talks abruptly canceled

By Fronnie Lewis on Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Instead of meeting with the big studio representatives, the Screen Actors Guild will be dealing with its own legal drama today. Last night, SAG canceled negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers set for today and tomorrow. The reason, SAG’s bitter in-fighting has now moved to the courts. Media sites such as Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily reported last night that SAG President Alan Rosenberg is leading a legal fight to get ousted SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator... Read More →

Tags: actors, actresses, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

SAG and big studio representatives to meet next week

By Fronnie Lewis on Thursday, January 29, 2009

Representatives for the big Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild announced jointly tonight that they will meet face to face next week. The statement below appears on both the SAG and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers websites. Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will meet February 3 and 4, at the AMPTP offices in Sherman Oaks, Calif. We will have no further comment about the meeting.

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

Big shake-up in the Screen Actors Guild

By Fronnie Lewis on Tuesday, January 27, 2009

For weeks now the rumors have been flying about the ouster of the National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild, Doug Allen. Despite all the denials, there was something in these rumors that suggested Allen’s days were numbered. And so it is, Allen is no longer working for SAG today, after being given his walking papers by the Guild’s National Board of Directors yesterday. Before I go on, a reminder of the really bad timing of this action. SAG is in the middle of bitter contract negotiations with the big studios... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

The producers react to SAG’s strike authorization vote

By Fronnie Lewis on Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers wasted no time in creating a response to yesterday’s announcement of a strike authorization vote by the Screen Actors Guild. On its website the AMPTP, the representative for the big studios, slammed SAG’s leadership for the breakdown in the contract talks. The AMPTP warned the actors that, “… no strike can solve the problems that have been created by SAG’s own failed negotiation strategy. ” Along with a brief statement condemning the prospects of a strike, the AMPTP site includes a download of... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild

Negotiations break down between SAG and the Producers

By Fronnie Lewis on Saturday, November 22, 2008

Even with the help of a mediator, negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and the producers imploded early this morning. SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have been haggling over a contract for months. The meeting with federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez was seen as a last ditch effort to avoid a strike by the union’s 120,000-plus members. SAG’s contract expired June 30, 2008. Today, SAG sent out a statement to the rank and file saying it had “…made difficult decisions and sacrifices... Read More →

Tags: actors, actresses, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

Update on SAG negotiations & location filming in Burbank

By Fronnie Lewis on Thursday, August 21, 2008

Those long-running Screen Actors Guild negotiations appear to be stalled in a nowhere zone. The most recent press release posted on SAG’s website is dated August 15 and it claims “informal discussions” are happening. Ah, but wait, over on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ website a posted statement denies there are ANY talks underway. Not a good sign of progress. Nonetheless, the filming must go on. A crew sets up at a hillside home in Burbank to film a commercial spot for VH-1 and... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Burbank, Screen Actors Guild

New developments in the actors’ contract battle

By Fronnie Lewis on Monday, July 28, 2008

Over the weekend, SAG’s National Negotiating Committee got some heavyweight support from the union’s National Board of Directors. On Saturday, July 26 the board passed a resolution reaffirming the importance of jurisdiction over all new media productions as well as residuals for all made-for-new media programs. The resolution passed unanimously 68-to-zip. This is a vote of confidence for the SAG negotiators who have championed these issues. The union negotiators claim the producers’ “final offer” lagged in these areas therefore, they rejected it. In a press release... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

War of the words

By Fronnie Lewis on Thursday, July 17, 2008

No new talks scheduled between SAG and the AMPTP, but the rumble over the actors’ contract flared up again today. This time the battleground was the Internet. SAG sent out an e-mail titled, “It’s Not New Media – It’s Now Media” to its members explaining why the studio bosses’ final offer is not good enough. The e-mail from National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen explained why the so-called “new media template” worked for the DGA and the WGA, but not for actors. One reason, according... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

Stalemate remains in Hollywood negotiations

By Fronnie Lewis on Wednesday, July 16, 2008

SAG and the AMPTP met for a few hours in a sidebar today, but apparently little progress was made. The meeting took place at 1 p.m. in AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks headquarters. SAG sent out a very brief press release tonight — only about four lines. It stated both parties agreed to keep the contents of the meeting confidential. Still, a clue was reportedly dropped on where those talks stand. In an article on its website tonight, Variety says both sides refused to discuss details, but the AMPTP revealed that no further meetings have been... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

SAG negotiators meet behind closed doors

By Fronnie Lewis on Friday, July 11, 2008

The actors’ union national negotiating committee met in closed session today, according to the latest press release from SAG. The release says throughout the day the committee discussed “bargaining strategies.” Also in the release, SAG National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen, tried to clear the air on the Guild’s reaction to the studios’ deal. “Our national negotiating committee did not, as has been erroneously reported, reject the AMPTP’s offer. Instead, we made a comprehensive counter proposal that adopted some of their proposals and offered alternatives on... Read More →

Tags: actors, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

SAG says no deal to the studio bosses

By Fronnie Lewis on Thursday, July 10, 2008

Today, the Screen Actors Guild handed the AMPTP a response to its final offer. While the producers were looking for a “yes” to everything, SAG tossed out some counter proposals instead. The AMPTP got really ticked about that. Apparently, the AMPTP had expected SAG to rubber-stamp the deal like, ah, that other actors’ union. On its website, the AMPTP slammed SAG for not falling in line with AFTRA. “The last thing we need is a long, hot, summer of labor strife …” according to a posted statement. Also,... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild

Actors’ negotiations update

By Fronnie Lewis on Tuesday, July 8, 2008

One union contract is a done deal, but the second, and probably the most difficult, is still a cliffhanger. First — AFTRA. The waiting is over. Tonight, AFTRA announced the results of the balloting on the tentative primetime television offer from the producers. AFTRA negotiators reached the tentative agreement with the AMPTP on May 28. Last month, ballots were sent out to union members. AFTRA has 70, 000 members and claims 52, 000 of them are working actors. The ballots were due yesterday. Tonight, AFTRA revealed... Read More →

Tags: actors, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild

4th of July holiday break in the SAG talks

By Fronnie Lewis on Wednesday, July 2, 2008

SAG negotiators met with AMPTP reps today. According to a SAG press release, the Guild asked a series of questions about the producers’ proposed package. Over the next several days, SAG negotiators will reportedly review and analyze the offer and ” prepare a response to management’s proposal.” No word yet, when these negotations will start up again. Meanwhile, on SAG’s website today, a statement from actor Sean Penn backing SAG’s decision to campaign against AFTRA’s tentative contract with the AMPTP. Penn, an AFTRA and SAG member,... Read More →

Tags: actors, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, Screen Actors Guild

SAG contract update

By Fronnie Lewis on Tuesday, July 1, 2008

A Screen Actors Guild member gets vocal in support of striking WGA writers while picketing in front of Disney Studios in Burbank, last February. No, SAG members did not hit the bricks when their union contract expired at 12:01 a.m. this morning. Nevertheless, the labor stand-off between SAG negotiators and the AMPTP continues and that has a lot of people worried. According to a June 30 press release posted on SAG’s website, the producers whipped out a 42-page last-minute offer before midnight. The union asked for and got... Read More →

Tags: Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, labor disputes, Screen Actors Guild