Talks between American television and radio artists union and Hollywood entertainment companies continued Tuesday for a new labor deal that is expected to do little toward easing Tinseltown's strike fears.
With a news blackout remaining in effect, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major Hollywood studios and television networks, were holding their fifth day of talks with a deal expected to emerge in coming days.
However, the Screen Actors Guild, the major actors union in Hollywood, will not have a new contract even when its smaller sister group AFTRA makes its deal.
SAG hasn't yet responded to an invitation from the studios' side to resume negotiations May 28. The guild also hasn't yet decided whether to ask its 120,000 members for a strike authorization, union leaders said.
As SAG's current labor contract expires on June 30, the lingering uncertainty has left many wondering whether there would be an industry-wide strike like the recent one by screenwriters.
SAG has scheduled a town hall meeting to update members on its recent unfruitful negotiations next week in Los Angeles. The talks ended last week after SAG refused to scale back on its positions on DVDs and new media like the cell phone and Internet.
AFTRA, which is negotiating with the entertainment companies on its own after splitting from SAG over one month ago, is expected to be more willing to scale back its demands, although its initial proposal was the same as SAG's. |
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