The recent news of the upcoming SAG vote to obtain strike authorization has stirred up a great deal of concern and confusion among industry members and the general public. SAG leaders are making every effort to clear up the confusion and shed light on the realities of the situation; for his part, William had the following to say…
The Screen Actors Guild is sending a referendum to its members asking not for a strike, but for a strike authorization. This will allow SAG’s National Board to call a strike if and when it deems it necessary. What’s at stake is nothing less than the ability of current and future actors to make a living at their craft. This fight is not for the highest-paid stars, but for everyday actors who depend on the contract minimums to make their living.
As content moves to the Internet, the networks and studios are refusing to maintain the pay arrangment they’ve had with actors for decades. And the contract they’re offering SAG is not the same, incredibly, but worse than what was signed by writers, directors and the other actors union, AFTRA. Given the economy, the timing of this is very unfortunate, obviously, but the livelihood of all middle-class actors hangs in the balance.
