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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Hollywood actors guild to seek strike

The economy is in a downward spiral, the entertainment industry has suffered badly from last year's writers strike, and every other union has agreed to a deal with the producers. So with faced with a lose - lose scenario, what should the actors do. If you guessed settle a contract, you would be wrong. The guild is planning on asking its members to strike. Let us just hope that the majority of actors in the union have a better understanding of the situation than its negotiating team. "SAG's national board has already authorized its negotiating committee to call for a strike authorization vote if mediation failed. The vote would take more than a month and require more than 75 percent approval to pass." So we could be starting the new year with another work stoppage, more unemployment, and a further blow to the economy. "But the studio alliance said it was untenable for SAG to demand a better deal than what writers, directors and another actors union accepted earlier in the year, especially now that the economy has worsened." In this case, I agree.

Beyond the troubles facing the entertainment industry, it seems that the union, regardless of the industry, has been hurting businesses from operating efficiently. From the automobile industry to New York's MTA, forced rules from unions in changing times create situations where there are jobs but no work. While there may have been a time when unions were necessary, I am hard pressed to feel for them when their demands seem untenable. Hopefully, the members of the SAG union will recognize the situation and work responsible for a cure. Another strike is not the answer.