SAG Strike Likely Averted as Actors and Producers Reach Tentative Agreement

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/405265_tvgif17.html

By TIM MOLLOY
TV GUIDE

It looks like the threat of a strike by members of the Screen Actors Guild has been averted.

The union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers announced Friday that the two sides have reached a tentative agreement on actors' contracts for film and television work. No details were released.

The union's 71-member national board is expected to vote Sunday on the agreement. The members were to vote Saturday on a previously announced, tentative agreement for actors' commercial work. If approved by the board, the agreements would be submitted to SAG's more than 110,000 members for approval.

A source familiar with the negotiations told TVGuide.com the two sides reached an agreement through back-channel talks outside of formal negotiations. The two sides reached the deal when SAG and AMPTP reached a compromise on when the new contract would expire. SAG had wanted a June 2011 expiration, and producers wanted it to end a year later. The source would not say what compromise was reached.

FULL story at link.