Screen Actors Guild says contract talks may extend into July

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-13  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE Screen Actors Guild said yesterday that talks with Hollywood studios could extend past the end of the current contract on June 30, but was willing to keep actors working without a deal.

SAG executive director Doug Allen said in an e-mail to The Associated Press the union was hoping for an agreement soon but was prepared to keep negotiating into July.

"We've worked beyond the end of a contract before," Allen said a day after guild leadership briefed members on the status of talks.

"We would much rather get an agreement done now," he said. "But if management is stubborn and intransigent, that may lead us to the point where we're negotiating beyond the end of the agreement."

The studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said in a statement that its bargaining team was "frustrated and discouraged" at the guild's attitude.

"With 18 days left in the month, SAG's Hollywood leadership is already saying that it's unlikely a deal will be made by June 30," the alliance said. "We hope that this statement does not signal the intention of SAG's Hollywood leaders to bring our industry to a halt."

The alliance said the lack of a deal had already put Hollywood into a "de facto strike," because feature films were not being approved and pilot production was being disrupted over fears of labor strife.

The alliance said it was still far apart from SAG on fundamental issues, including compensation for traditional media and for Internet content.

The contract talks over prime-time TV shows and all major studio movies entered their 28th day Thursday after starting April 15.

Both sides took a three-week break last month to allow the smaller American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to begin talks. AFTRA reached a tentative agreement on May 28 involving on a handful of TV shows.