Whew… there’s actually a lot that’s gone on this week in the ongoing fight between the AMPTP and SAG, so let’s recap, hmm?
Variety‘s Dave McNary reported on Monday that SAG board member Seymour Cassel (Uwe Boll’s Postal—yes, really) said that national executive director Doug Allen has been removed as the lead negotiator; a SAG spokesperson completely refuted that claim. Of course, Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood Daily is refuting that story as well, saying that the biased daily paper has been besieging all the media who reported it to take the story down and they have all refused.
Even more important than that, remember that very important two-day meeting the SAG board was going to call this week, which would decide whether or not they would ask the SAG membership if it wants to strike? Well, it took 30.5 hours for them to decide… absolutely nothing. From DHD, again:
At the end of the National Board plenary meeting this afternoon, a group of board members submitted a document to the Guild that purports to deal with the employment of the National Executive Director and the continuing approach to negotiations. After analyzing the document, Screen Actors Guild’s in-house and outside counsel have concluded that the document does not constitute a valid written assent, for several reasons, including a lack of sufficient signatures and the absence of any language on the document demonstrating the intent of the signers to grant their assent to the proposal. Guild National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Doug Allen and the National Television and Theatrical Contract Negotiating Committee remain committed to advancing the cause of actors and our crucial contract negotiations.
So where are we? Right back where we started: without a new SAG contract, with little respect for either party, and with the hope that we can somehow remove this sword of Damocles over our heads.