SAG, AFTRA talk contract with H'wood's top execs

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Hollywood heavyweights from the major studios and television networks turned out in force to meet with members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists on Monday for informal discussions about issues that will affect negotiations for a new film and television contract. The current contract covering the 135,000 members of SAG/AFTRA expires June 30.

The first meeting between the two sides, described as "collegial" and "informative" by those who attended, took place at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers headquarters in Encino.

SAG insiders said "not in 20 years" had such top executives gathered to hear their concerns.

Sources on both sides of the negotiating table said that although other discussions might take place before the end of the year, no formal bargaining is expected until next month. "It bodes well to keep these conversations going," SAG president William Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter.

The turnout for Monday's meeting read like a who's who of Hollywood: Viacom's Jonathan Dolgen, Warner Bros.' Barry Meyer, News Corp.'s Peter Chernin, NBC's Scott Sassa, CBS' Les Moonves, Sony's Mel Harris, DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg, Universal's Ron Meyer, MGM's Chris McGurk and AMPTP president Nick Counter.

They attended what turned out to be a 1 1/2-hour exchange with various members of SAG and AFTRA, including Daniels and AFTRA president Shelby Scott.

"It was good to see the CEOs there," one participant said. "It showed that they cared."

The only studio not represented was the Walt Disney Co., which led one participant to joke, "They were represented by a news van they sent over from KABC."

Some of the issues discussed were salary compression, runaway production, cable residuals, digital technology and the steps the networks have taken on diversity.

"The meeting began with conversation about how this was an above-the-scale issue, noting that (SAG) wanted more," one person in attendance said. Former SAG president Ed Asner spoke, as did actor Edward Norton, who kept his comments focused on runaway production and talked about problems on The Score, which was shot in Canada.

About 40 or 50 members were on hand from SAG/AFTRA, including Holly Hunter, Noah Wylie, Tobey Maguire, David Hyde Pierce, Valerie Harper and soap stars Eric Braeden and Susan Flannery.

SAG issued a news release after the meeting saying that "a vital element that has been missing for these deliberations, however, is information on theatrical and television residuals that was to have been provided as part of a residuals study."

SAG said the release of those numbers was negotiated as part of the 1998 theatrical and television contract and was to be delivered to SAG and AFTRA, allowing time for the unions to analyze and discuss the information before the start of the wages and working condition committee meetings.

Those meetings began in October. Another wages and working condition committee meeting is scheduled for today. Residuals study numbers are expected to be delivered to SAG and AFTRA by the end of this week, sources said.

"It will be impossible for us to begin formal negotiations with the AMPTP until we've taken the residuals information we bargained for in 1998 into account," SAG associate national executive director John McGuire and AFTRA national executive director Greg Hessinger said in a statement.

The concern over a possible strike has prompted studios to ramp up production and change schedules around so as not to be caught in midproduction in June.

The meeting comes just after SAG and AFTRA have ended a strike against the advertising industry, the longest in their history.

"We've been saying for weeks that we believe there's always a deal to be made, and our members very obviously prefer to be working rather than walking a picket line," Daniels and Scott said in a statement. "Actors and producers unquestionably need each other. Both sides would be well served to keep in mind that we're each part of a team necessary to create quality entertainment."

There are no other informal meetings scheduled yet between the members of the AMPTP and SAG/AFTRA.

For more information on SAG's position on runaway production, click here

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