The Last SAG Post

Whattayaknow.

After a year of dicking around, the Screen Actors Guild finally ratified a new contract:

The membership of the Screen Actors Guild has officially ratified its proposed new two-year TV/theatrical contract by a margin of 78% to 22%. SAG members had been working under the terms of the previous contract since June 30, 2008, as negotiations stopped and started, stalled and dragged on, over the past year.

SAG's national board recommended the contract to the membership for ratification April 19 by a mere 53% to 47%. Ballots went out to the 110,000 or so members in good standing May 19.

Of those eligible to vote, 35.26% turned in ballots ...

What made this particularly ludicrous is that the basic deal sat moldering for a year. But SAG had a President and executive director who thought they were going to find a different, prettier pony in the manure pile, and were proven -- over and over -- to be wrong.

So the SAG membership turns out to be more clear-thinking that the officers who represent them, and a two-year deal is in place. Due to the brilliance of Mr. Rosenberg and his executive director, SAG members missed out on a year of pay-rate increases, but decided having a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that ended at the same time as the other above-the-line guilds was more important.

Or something.

Maybe they were just sick of the theatrics at board meetings and all the crazies picketing outside SAG's Wilshire Boulevard headquarters. And the angry "Open Letters" that were flung back and forth between warring factions.

Either way, SAG's long nightmare is over. For two years. Then we'll start the festivities over again, and see what kind of economic hits the industry gets to endure during the next contract cycle.

Should be a gas.