Film and TV actors raised the stakes while negotiating with Hollywood's major studios Wednesday, by prompting negotiators to seek backing for a vote by guild members for a potential strike.
The vote request came after labor talks were stalled between negotiators and producers, says Reuters. Screen Actors Guild negotiators passed the resolution looking to get an OK from SAG's national board to conduct a vote about a potential work stoppage. SAG is the largest union for U.S. actors, with about 120,000 members.
SAG released the committee's passed resolution late Wednesday, but said it would not comment further on it.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the film studios, released this statement to ET:
"Is this really the time for anyone associated with the entertainment business to be talking about going on strike? Not only is the business suffering from recent economic conditions, but if ever there was a time when Americans wanted the diversions of movies and television, it is now. The DGA, WGA and AFTRA reached agreement on comparable terms months ago, during far better economic times, and it is unrealistic for SAG negotiators now to expect even better terms during this grim financial climate. This is the harsh economic reality, and no strike will change that reality."
SAG said the vote authorization was "necessary to overcome the employers' intransigence," Reuters reports.
Although a strike authorization vote would not determine a work halt, it could give the unions an edge in the negotiations.
The labor talks come on the heels of the Writers Guild of America strike that significantly impacted the entertainment industry in 2007-2008, and which also cost the economy an estimated $3 billion, says Reuters.
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