SAG battle impeding labor talks

LOS ANGELES, June 14 (UPI) -- A labor battle prompted by Screen Actors Guild officials is distracting the union from its ongoing contract talks with top U.S. studios, industry experts say.

Labor attorney Al Latham said the decision by top SAG officials to campaign against the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists contract has impeded the guild's attempt to extend its labor contract with studios, the Los Angeles Times said Saturday.

"I've never heard of a dual membership situation where one union is saying to vote down the contract of another," Latham said. "This is novel."

AFTRA officials reached a deal with studio executives this month on a new contract despite requests from their SAG counterparts to delay any new labor deals.

The guild's current studio contract is set to expire on June 30 and talks between the two sides have not resulted in an extension.

Despite the labor conflict, AFTRA negotiator Matt Kimbrough wished his fellow union officials good luck in future talks.

"They treat us like an enemy rather than a sister union," Kimgrough told the Times. "We hope that SAG gets a good deal and, if they improve on it, that is a testament to their negotiating skills."