Actors Unions Outline Major Issues in Discussion With Studio Executives

Representatives of the two Hollywood actors unions met Monday with top studio executives to discuss upcoming labor talks, but set no timetable to start formal negotiations, representatives from both sides said.

Officials from the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists used the Encino meeting to outline their major issues. Primarily, these are financial demands, including better residuals for cable TV, foreign television, programs on the Fox network, future Internet entertainment and better payments for videocassette and DVD sales.

Studio executives told the actors they would like to begin negotiations as soon as possible to prevent the inevitable slowdowns in production that come when there is uncertainty over a possible strike.

The contract between actors and producers expires July 1. Pessimism over whether the two sides can agree on a new deal already is beginning to slow new projects that may not be finished before that date. SAG and AFTRA are expected to present their specific demands to studios in January.

Leading the talks Monday were SAG President William Daniels and AFTRA President Shelby Scott, joined by such stars as Holly Hunter, Valerie Harper, Ed Norton, David Hyde Pierce, Tobey Maguire and Noah Wyle.

Representatives of the industry included Warner Bros. Chairman Barry Meyer, Viacom Entertainment Group Chairman Jonathan Dolgen, News Corp. President Peter Chernin, MGM Vice Chairman Chris McGurk, Sony Pictures President Mel Harris, CBS President Les Moonves and NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa.

In a joint statement, union leaders Daniels and Scott said, “We’ve been saying for weeks there’s a deal to be made. Our members would very obviously prefer to be working than walking a picket line.”