Screen Actors Guild faces pressure to settle quickly

The writers and directors have already settled their contract disputes.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three weeks ago, Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg insisted that his union would push for a better contract deal than Hollywood writers got after their 100-day strike.

But just nine days into negotiations with the major studios, the guild is far from a deal and finds itself under pressure to settle quickly, as its members resist the idea of a walkout and another actors union prepares to negotiate an agreement that could undercut SAG’s demands.

In addition, the guild must make its case without significant support from writers and directors, who settled their contract disputes earlier.

“The actors now are the caboose. They’re taking up the end of the train and they look around and there’s no one else left to support them,” said entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel, who advised writers during their talks.

The studios and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have both stressed that they want to reach a deal quickly during their upcoming talks, and avert a strike when the contract covering movies and prime-time TV shows expires on June 30.

The rush “has effectively clipped SAG’s wings” when it comes to winning concessions, Handel said.

On Wednesday, the guild won a brief reprieve when AFTRA pushed back the start of its talks from April 28 to May 5 to give the SAG negotiations a better chance to succeed.

The federation made the move at the request of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios.

The alliance said it hopes to use the extra time to narrow significant gaps with SAG on unspecified issues.

Before the talks began, Rosenberg repeatedly said he would seek a better deal than the writers guild received on residual fees for DVDs and TV reruns and payment for content offered online.

Late last week, however, after just three days of talks, Rosenberg already looked exhausted.

He emerged from the negotiating room and headed for an elevator, a bag slung over his shoulder, after a brief discussion with negotiating committee member Scott Wilson, who has a recurring role on “CSI.”

Rosenberg suggested his proposals had not been well-received by the studios.

“Inside, I’m seething,” he said without elaborating.