Comments on: Actors’ talks update: SAG negotiations end with no deal, focus now on AFTRA

By: Elwood

Elwood — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:12:35 +0000

I propose an Actors and Athletes Tax. All members of SAG get a 99% federal income tax rate for any earnings over 500,000 bucks. It also goes for all athletes and coaches of all sports teams. The first 500,000 is taxed at 33%. NO DEDUCTIONS!!!!!! I call it “spreading the wealth”

By: onebigkaka

onebigkaka — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:10:33 +0000

I hate greedy people. FIGHT NOW or get more taken in the future.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:56:20 +0000

What ever happened to working for the audience.
We have lost the concept of entertainment and are becoming an industry revolving around money. While the industry has always been contingent with the all powerful dollar, many of us entered this business to create and now we are not allowed to do so. When will money take the passenger seat and creativity become our main goal again.

By: dabfx

dabfx — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:48:37 +0000

I am a artist that works for union films in pre production. I have no union. My job is not secure . Just as many union workers when the film hits set i am out of a job moving on to the next. I have no insurance. And here is the thing…. I love what I do. that is why i came to LA not for union deals, not for residuals ,not to argue over my wages. and because of a group of workers who essentially play pretend I can barely afford to eat. this strike is just uncalled for . why should actors get more money? they put no risk or investment into these films. its plain greed that drives this situation. Lets stop to think about all the other people like myself that are suffering far more than any SAG member. their selfishness is putting a heavy weight on those who are already worse than themselves.

By: Jake

Jake — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:28:50 +0000

SAG is the worst Union in the US. They already destroyed the commercial industry. If they strike they will do more damage than good. They have no common sense.

By: LMG

LMG — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:56:17 +0000

I have been an actor for 30 years in Canada. In Jan/Feb of 2007 the Canadian version of SAG (ACTRA)struck for the first time in its 60 year existance on many of these same issues. Mainly the fight for fair payment for new media distributed product. It is the future main distribution tool. Be assured that the 26,000 actors in Canada support your actions in solidarity, as SAG did ours in ‘07.
A SAG strike also means less work in Canada. We do not work productions seeking to avoid the SAG strike by coming to Canada. It is deemed struck work for us too. Nevertheless, we support your fight. If someone is making money from your(our)work, we need to be paid fairly too. We get it!

By: billy

billy — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:52:44 +0000

yes, the whole situation sucks. Gas prices are high and this will undoubtedly make many people rethink their career choices.
This is entertainment folks. Either do it, or shut up, go home and sell insurance. No offense to anyone who actually sells insurance, it’s just a figure of speech.
Everyone lives in L.A. with the dream of making a killing.
This SAG strike, or SAG non-strike will not affect many of the big, pretty people the average-joes thinks it will. All of the big deals will always be on a case-by-case basis regardless of any out-come.
So, if you are an average joe, STRIKE YOUR ASS OFF. Or please, go home and sell insurance. It’s not a bad life. Just no more whining, please.

By: Ty

Ty — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 00:05:44 +0000

Strikes hurt everyone, but the populous is so anesthetized these days that they only care about themselves. If you really want to avoid a strike, then grow a pair and write the AMPTP and tell them to negotitate a fair deal! The current proposal is NOT a fair deal, given the gains SAG and other unions have made over the years. If there is a strike, get out there and strike with them! The more the better. Fight for a cause higher than your little existance for once! With the exception of production assistants, everyone in production is in a union. When did the unions (and America) devolve into a bunch of ingrate, spineless wusses? It’s like you all want to be in a union to reap the benefits, but you forget that they worked hard to fight for fair pay and working conditions. Now it’s our turn to champion the cause and fight for fair pay. The AMPTP is at fault, not the unions. We’re not going to roll over and take a shoddy contract, so if you want to avoid a strike, then fight with us.

By: Ty

Ty — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:52:33 +0000

The WGA strike was difficult to endure but completely justified. It is unfortunate that there are millions of other jobs that are caught in the crossfire, but they need to be on our side. There are causes higher than our own, and that principle is that actors, writers, directors, the crew and everyone else that works SO HARD to put a concept on a screen should NEVER be coerced into accepting below the line payments. What people don’t realize is that people involved in production usually work 12 hour days or more, and they deserve to be paid a decent amount when producers, studios, and networks make exorbitent amounts of money over and over and over again based off of our work. The unions are there for a reason. AFTRA leadership has behaved like a word that rhymes with wussies like they always do. We need to tell the AMPTP that we will not be taken advantage of. If ever there was a year to hit them with a strike, now is the year! It is the AMPTP’s fault for not giving us a fair deal!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:26:47 +0000

I am not an actor i am a teamster in the movie bizz. I really dont get it when the average sag is making over 50k (from what i hear) not counting the ones who are making millions upon millions. Then they get residuals on top of that.I feel like those are good wages for essentially part time work. Also we have the best insurance around and i agree they are trying to ruin that along with our retirment. But with the amount of money im sure they can invest and put some of the residuals away that most of the workers never see. We barely can get a credit let alone money after we are done.