SAG and AMPTP Suspend Negotiations

SAG and the AMPTP have officially suspended negotiations effective yesterday May 6, 2008. Does this mean another strike for a community that is already on shaky ground? Let's recap the effects of the writer's strike briefly.

This past fall, the writer's strike left millions around America flipping through old reruns and grumbling about their late shows being pulled off the air. In the entertainment industry however, the effects were felt much more tangibly. Hundreds of thousands of individuals were left without work and the trickle down effect on the Hollywood community was immense. Billions of dollars were lost directly and indirectly.

Although months have passed since writers once again put pen to paper, many people are still feeling the pain of the strike. Entire agencies have closed up shop, drastically cut talent pools, and many television shows never resumed production. The television shows that did return to the air have struggled to grasp viewers attention.

Pilot season, normally a bustling time of the year in Hollywood was rather slow. Some networks opted to not have pilots altogether, some networks decided to incorporate pilots throughout the season, and yet others with thought of an impending actor's strike opted to fill their time slots with reality TV. Many producer's have switched to non-union projects wanting to avoid union conflict altogether during such an uneasy time.

During the WGA strike, SAG stood in solidarity with the writers. Over the past few months, SAG actor's have been encouraged by president Rosenberg to submit proposals and speak about contract concerns. After analyzing everyone's input, SAG formed a list of priorities. One of the biggest issues amongst SAG was the issue of New Media, which was one of the main issues of contention in the WGA negotiations.