SAG board will ask for strike authorization

Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily reports that the Screen Actors Guild national board of directors has passed the following resolution by a 96% majority:

In hopes of moving the Theatrical and TV negotiations forward, the national board hereby takes the following actions:

SAG will formally request a federal mediator be brought into the negotiations.

The Board adds four new members to the National Negotiating Committee, two from the Hollywood Division, one from the New York Division and one from the Regional Branch Division.

The Board authorizes a referendum and accompanying educational information be sent to the members requesting their authorization for the National Board to call a strike in the Theatrical and TV Contract, at such time as the Negotiating Committee determines in its sole discretion that the mediation process has failed.

A few observations:

• A call for strike authorization is not the same as saying that a strike will happen.

• However, it ain't good news for avoiding one.

• Strike authorization requires a 75% vote of the SAG membership.

• I find it interesting that the resolution calls on a vote to authorize SAG's national board to call a strike -- not the Negotiating Committee (which in my experience is how it's usually done).

• SAG recently had an election which tipped the balance of SAG officers slightly towards the Unite For Strength slate (less militant) and away from the Membership First slate (more militant, including SAG president Alan Rosenberg). I don't yet know which slate is represented in the new Negotiating Committee members.