LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- The Screen Actors Guild asked its members in an e-mail before the holiday season to back a proposed labor strike against major U.S. studios.
The Hollywood Reporter said Wednesday with a vote on the strike measure scheduled for December, SAG officials asked their fellow members to consider the loss of residuals from actors' work.
"Nearly half of our earnings as union performers come from residuals, but management wants us to allow them to make programs for the Internet and other new media nonunion (productions) and with no residuals," the guild said.
The union also clarified that passage of the strike proposal would not mean a definitive strike for increased industry residuals, the Reporter said.
"A strike authorization is a tool that gives us more leverage in negotiations and we intend to use it to try to get a fair deal," it said in Wednesday's notice. "If we receive 'yes' votes from at least 75 percent of the members who vote on this referendum, the national board will have the ability to call a strike, but it must vote to do that, and that won't happen before we attempt further negotiations to reach a deal with management."
