SAG Postpones Strike Vote

In face of growing opposition, leadership agrees to hold emergency meeting of the board first

By Natalie Finn Dec 23, 2008 4:49 AMTags
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Hollywood has issued a preemptive shush to talk of a strike.

In the face of growing opposition to the entire prospect, the Screen Actors Guild announced Monday that it has postponed a strike-authorization vote that was originally scheduled for Jan. 2.

Instead, according to SAG's national executive director and lead negotiator, Doug Allen, the vote will not take place until after the board convenes for an emergency meeting Jan. 12 and 13.

While a fair number of big-name actors—Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, etc.—have lent their support to SAG's leadership, come rain or come strike, plenty of A-listers have urged the board not to even consider what could prove to be an economically debilitating and industry-demoralizing actors' strike.

The strike authorization would require 75 percent approval from those who cast a ballot—an unlikely proposition considering the proposed walkout would be coming barely a year after the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike sent the spring 2008 scripted-TV season grinding to a halt and punched a billion-dollar hole in Los Angeles County's revenue for the year.

"This division does not help our effort to get an agreement from the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers that our members will ratify,'' Allen wrote in a memo to SAG's membership, per Variety. "This will provide us with more time to conduct member education and outreach on the referendum before the balloting."

"While almost 100 high profile members and 2,524 total members have endorsed the strike authorization vote mandated by the national board, more than 100 high profile actors and 1,373 actors have lent their names to the opposition campaign."

Those opposed include George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks and Cameron Diaz. And with the 15th Annual SAG Awards coming up, not to mention the Globes and the Oscars, no one wants to have the red carpets split into for and against aisles, right?