HOLLYWOOD — A campaign waged by the Screen Actors Guild to persuade members of a rival union to vote down a new contract has foundered, an outcome that could weaken SAG’s leverage in negotiations with Hollywood studios.
Members of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists approved a three-year prime-time TV contract Tuesday, dealing a blow to SAG leaders, who had gambled on defeating a contract they blasted as bad for actors.
The vote — widely viewed as a barometer of support for SAG negotiators — doesn’t eliminate the prospect of a strike but leaves the guild with fewer alternatives. The protracted negotiations are causing widespread uncertainty throughout Hollywood, holding up feature-film productions and casting a pall over the upcoming fall TV season.
“It’s hard to not see this as a setback because they invested so much in this and drew a line in the sand,” said David Smith, a labor economist at Pepperdine University. “It’s probably going to limit their ability to negotiate for what they want.”
SAG leaders could seek a strike authorization vote from members, but that is considered risky given the deteriorating economy and strike fatigue after the 100-day writers walkout that ended in February.
“The town has been fairly terrorized this year, and actors don’t have more guts than the average person,” former SAG president Ed Asner said during a meeting with TV critics on Tuesday.
SAG declared a moral victory, noting that the 62.4 percent ratification vote was below the norm.
The contract ratified Tuesday was modeled after similar pacts negotiated by directors and writers. Although the accord includes pay hikes for actors and establishes payments for programs streamed online, SAG contended it didn’t meet such key bargaining goals as increasing residuals from DVD sales and ensuring that all Internet programs were covered.
