With strike hours away, unions ink interim pacts
Contracts allow thesps to work during stoppage
The agreements have come with the 135,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists expected to be on strike today against advertisers. The unions’ work stoppage on all commercial work was slated to start at 12:01 a.m. today, more than two weeks after talks collapsed, and union leaders indicated there was little chance of a restart of negotiations.
The walkout targets only commercials producers; TV and film work is not affected.
The interim agreements represent a key battleground in helping budge advertisers back to the bargaining table. The deals, containing terms of the last offer put forward by the unions before talks ended on April 14, allow SAG and AFTRA members to work during a strike.
On Sunday the unions did not disclose the names of employers signing the deals but representatives of the ad industry had already dismissed their importance, predicting the unions would only be able to sign small companies to the interim deals. None of the 300 larger firms, represented by the Assn. of National Advertisers and the American Assn. of Advertising Agencies, are believed to have signed the deals.
As they have since the strike threat emerged, the producers maintained with business as usual, using non-union or union members who defy their leadership.
‘Rining off the hook’
However, SAG president William Daniels said Sunday, "The phones have been ringing off the hook from employers wanting interim deals."
The unions drew more than 500 members to the Sheraton Universal Hotel for an organizing/informational session and Daniels — who was elected last fall on a platform of taking a more aggressive approach in negotiations — received a 30-second standing ovation.
Mathis Dunn, AFTRA’s chief negotiator, told the crowd that advertisers have not responded in a "meaningful way" during the six weeks of talks to the demands for improved cable residuals, a monitoring system and jurisdiction over Internet ads. "They listened to us but they did not hear us," he added.
Standing firm
Daniels said federal mediators are continuing to stay in touch with both sides but added that the ad industry will have to change its negotiating posture to talks to restart. "We are not changing our position," he added.
To kick off the first day of the strike, SAG and AFTRA have organized a rally to be held in Bryant Park today. The strike has the support of Actors’ Equity.
Rallies are also planned for Los Angles, Chicago and San Francisco, followed by picketing of ad agencies.
(Robert Hofler in New York contributed to this report.)
