Hollywood unions receive final offer

Updated 13.52 Tue Jul 01 2008

Keywords: writers strike, george clooney, jack nicholson, tom hanks, hollywood

Hollywood has narrowly avoided another strike after the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) were presented a "final offer" in talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Sag, which represents 120,000 members, indicated it was caught off guard by the "last-minute" move and said in a brief statement it would study the industry's 43-page proposal and "prepare a response to management once that analysis is complete."

Sag, indicating it was caught off guard by the "last-minute" move, said in a brief statement it would study the industry's 43-page proposal and "prepare a response to management once that analysis is complete."

But little of substance is expected to occur before next week, when Sag leaders learn whether they have succeeded in a bid to scuttle a separate labour deal newly brokered by Sag's smaller sister union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Aftra).

"This offer does not appear to address some key issues important to actors," Sag executive director and chief negotiator Doug Allen added in the statement.

The two sides agreed to meet again on Wednesday to discuss the industry's proposal.

Being Hollywood, the unions have commandeered various A-listers to back their cause, with Tom Hanks and Jack Nicholson representing opposing sides and George Clooney contending that both are right.

The talks, which began in April, focus around clashes over how union talent should be paid for work created especially for the Internet.

Sag leaders, for example, have accused Aftra of giving away too much on provisions extending contract coverage to made-for-Internet TV shows and obtaining actors' consent for online display of TV clips.

The Aftra deal also lacks increases in payments actors receive from DVD sales - a key Sag demand.

Whatever Sag decides to do, the studios set no deadline for a response, and no one expects the union to made a decisive move before next Tuesday.