The actors union, SAG-AFTRA, has agreed to arbitration. Kinda.
The union says the studios can negotiate with them through federal mediation — but only until midnight tomorrow, when they could vote to strike.
“The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Negotiating Committee has agreed to the AMPTP’s last-minute request for federal mediation and has reaffirmed the negotiating committee’s dedication to securing a fair deal by the expiration of the extended contract at 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, July 12,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.
The union disputed a report in Variety that the studios got all their honchos together and decided to make a try at bringing this ridiculous standoff to an end. The studios, this reporter feels, should just cough up the small amount of money wanted by SAG and the Writers Guild and let everyone get back to work.
Will the mediation work? It’s unlikely. At this point the two unions have more leverage if they go on strike. Content is running out at all the TV networks. Soap opera characters are starting to weird things as the shows are written by scabs. Soon, it’s going to be like “The Purple Rose of Cairo.”
Stay tuned…
