SAG painted into a corner

July 01, 2008 The move is backed by two seemingly safe bets: 1 The guild will fail to defeat the ratification of the proposed primetime TV contract between producers and AFTRA; 2 It does not have the will or the votes to get strike authorization from its rank-and-file because they -- and the rest of Hollywood -- took a financial hit during the 100-day WGA strike. The AMPTP move "is definitely not standard," said a longtime industry insider who has worked for labor and management. About 26,000, though, are non-SAG members, and it seems unlikely that those with no loyalty to the guild would be inclined to reject a deal that their board of directors has overwhelmingly approved.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.