Ok, so where are we on this whole actor’s strike thing. You remember that the Screen Actor’s Guild leadership is asking for a strike authorization vote for the membership. The vote will take place sometime soon but has been delayed until after a SAG board meeting on January 12th. Last week the SAG executive director sent a “Know the Facts” message to the membership to help them make up their minds and vote the way he wants, for the strike authorization.
So, that’s where we are. Now Variety reports that Doug Allen, the aforementioned executive director, has sent another “Know the Facts” message. The message is meant to counter anti-strike factions that are saying it’s a bad time to strike since the economy sucks. Allen says pish-posh sir. Actually, he says, “There is no good time to consider a strike. Strikes are called only when management's bargaining positions are intolerable and then only by a vote of the elected actors on the National Board, if authorized by a membership referendum. But, tough economic times are when it is most necessary to be unified to resist the studios and networks effort to obliterate contract provisions in our future work." So, that’s supposed to rally the troops so that at least 75% of the voters will say “yeah, sure, let’s stop working for a few months, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Allen is having a tough sell with this whole strike business. George Clooney and Tom Hanks are against it, and they are great minds of the fifth order. Actually, they are actors who get paid mostly to look good and act funny or sad on command. But since all the other movie and television type unions like the writers, directors, and the like have signed basically the same contract, it’s unlikely the actors will get something new with or without a strike. That’s why more moderate acting type people are trying to replace Allen at the January 12th board meeting. Meanwhile, I can’t seem to figure out why According to Jim is still on the air.
