The national board of the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists has spurned a request from the Screen Actors Guild to trim the number of its reps for the unions' joint bargaining committee for upcoming negotiations over a new film-TV contract.
The development could signal a significant conflict between elected SAG and AFTRA leaders as they prepare for critical negotiations with studios to replace the current contract, which expires July 1. Relations between the two unions have been strained since SAG members voted down a merger with AFTRA two years ago.
AFTRA's national board, during a weekend meeting in Los Angeles, named 16 reps to the wages and working conditions plenary committee, with one more to be named. Members of the plenary committee, which will help hammer out the two unions' initial contract proposal, will become the AFTRA reps on the negotiating committee.
Earlier this month, SAG's national executive committee asked AFTRA to reduce the size of its team to reflect the far smaller wage contribution that AFTRA members make under this contract. The unions have jointly negotiated the film-TV and commercials contracts for the past two decades.
AFTRA spokeswoman Pamm Fair said the national board's decision was based on following existing procedure but added the panel could subsequently decide to reduce the number of reps.
SAG spokesman Greg Krizman said in response, "We have not had a chance to discuss this with AFTRA, and we look forward to doing so."
AFTRA's national board named president Shelby Scott to the panel along with Los Angeles reps Bobbie Bates, Los Angeles prexy Susan Boyd, John Connolly, Matt Kimbrough, Frank Maxwell, Ron Morgan and Robert Silver. It also tapped seven New York reps -- Larry Brygman, Jeanette Gautier, J.R. Horne, Don Leslie, Kitty Lund, Bob Lydiaro and Tom Wiggin. One Chicago rep is yet to be named.
SAG named its 13-member negotiating team last week.
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