SAG Reconciling with AFTRA?

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/nyc/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003709108

February 10, 2008
By Andrew Salomon

The Screen Actors Guild indicated Saturday it was willing to return to the negotiating table with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, but AFTRA's president stated in a news release she wasn't thoroughly convinced of the guild's sincerity.

Almost everyone in the film and television industries is ready to return to work after the announcement Sunday that there is a tentative deal to settle the three-month writers strike; however, the two performers' unions have not clearly and completely worked out their differences. Nevertheless, SAG's actions over the weekend represent the clearest step yet toward reconciliation.

At a special national board meeting, held via videoconference in Los Angeles and New York, the guild voted overwhelmingly to rescind two previous measures: one that would have changed the way SAG votes internally during contract talks and another that asked rank-and-file members to end the guild's longtime joint negotiating agreement with AFTRA, known as Phase One, and try to create a new one.

Both measures were approved by the 71-member board with more than 84 percent of the vote. More important, they could help the union avoid a nasty separation with AFTRA that could have forced the two camps into direct competition, which in turn might have lowered salaries and weakened benefits over the long term.

"We are confident that these actions will pave the way for Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA to jointly negotiate improvements for all actors working under SAG and AFTRA contracts," Screen Actors Guild President Alan Rosenberg said in a news release.


FULL story at link.