Actors, studios to return to negotiating table

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

To virtually no one’s surprise, the Screen Actors Guild and the major studios announced late Wednesday that they will return to the negotiating table Tuesday to try to forge a new contract for actors.

The move comes only two days after SAG’s board hired a new negotiator, John McGuire, and a new interim executive director, David White, following the ouster of Doug Allen. At the same time, the board formed a new ‘task force’ to replace the previous negotating committee.

Moderates who orchestrated the shake-up are expected to move quickly to finalize a new contract, which will be modeled on deals secured over the past year by three other talent unions. Their challenge will be to obtain improvements over the studios’ previous ‘final offer’ that will be acceptable to members and demonstrate that the leadership didn’t capitulate under pressure.

SAG members have been working without a contract since June 30.

-- Richard Verrier