LOS ANGELES — An actors union locked in contract talks with Hollywood producers dampened expectations of a speedy deal, saying Monday that negotiations may not be quick or easy.
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said in an e-mail to members that challenging issues remained as the negotiations entered their ninth day on a contract covering some prime-time TV shows.
“We are confronting a number of challenging issues, and a resolution may not be quick or easy,” AFTRA president Roberta Riordan said in the e-mail. “However, our discussions with the industry have been professional and businesslike, and we remain focused on continuing negotiations in this vein.”
Among the sticking points are a push by studios to gain full control of clips containing the images of actors for use on the Internet.
The federation said it has delivered a strong message on the issue.
“Performers will not relinquish consent for excerpts in new media, which would compromise the integrity of members’ work, their reputations, or their employability,” Riordan said in the e-mail.
The union did not elaborate and said it would stick by a self-imposed media blackout.
The producers, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, declined to comment.
AFTRA began talks with the alliance May 7 amid expectations that a tentative agreement likely would be reached quickly. The current three-year contract expires June 30.
All sides have said they want to avoid a repeat of the 100-day writers strike that halted production of dozens of television shows and temporarily shut down the industry.
