Meanwhile On the Labor Front...

The morning trade papers tell us: SAG gets animated with deal Guild draws tentative cable animation pact By DAVE MCNARY (Variety) A day after receiving strike authorization from members on its live-action basic cable contract, SAG reached a tentative deal on its animation cable contract. SAG said Tuesday that the new 2 ½-year animation pact represents a 20% hike in residuals, based on the typical pattern for animated basic cable episodes of an initial run followed by an average of 25 repeats.... What this means, of course, is that animation staffs won't be forced into layoffs because no voice recording happens due to a strike. (OTOH, SAG has gone after strike authorization for its live action cable agreement. On that one, the Screen Actors Guild hasn't struck a deal.) I've been told that IATSE Prez Tom Short and Directors Guild of America topkick Jay Roth have been working behind the scenes to avoid job actions by other unions in the next few years. They're both acutely aware that if SAG or the WGA strike for lengthy periods of time, nobody else will be working either...