The ABCs Of SAG: Do They Really Spell Strike?

Screen Actors Guild members and supporters rally in Los Angeles shortly before the union's contract was set to expire. The guild is pressing producers for new-media residuals, higher minimum rates for actors and better pensions. (By David Mcnew -- Getty Images)

Have other big names taken sides?

Batting on the pro-AFTRA team are Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Sally Field. On the pro-SAG side are Jack Nicholson, Viggo Mortensen, Holly Hunter.

Sounds like a cat fight at a poodle convention. Hey, didn't the Hollywood writers just go on strike? What is this, a union town?

In Hollywood every three years, the guilds (writers, directors, actors) negotiate with their studio masters. The Writers Guild of America went on strike for 100 days. Eventually, its members won more money and, very important to them, they got some rights when their work appears on so-called "new media" (cellphones, MP3s, computers, etc). Meaning: They want residuals and payment when their shows are streamed or downloaded off the Internet.

So what do the actors want?

Same things. Specifically, SAG wants "significant increases" in the minimum rates paid to actors in minor and major roles, including those performing stunts and serving as "background" (commonly called the extras). They want the studios to contribute more to their health insurance and pensions, give them a sweeter cut on DVD sales, increase their reimbursements for mileage and pay residuals for all new media.

Good luck. Isn't all this uncertainty hurting the industry?

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. estimated that the writers' strike cost the county $2.5 billion in lost income. A lot of TV executives (and writers and talent) think that the strike hurt their scripted television shows, as viewers turned to other fare, such as reality programming.

So what about me, the audience member?

Films take a few years to make and market, so the SAG negotiations will not impact the summer, fall and holiday film schedule. With the interruption from the writers' strike behind them but with a SAG strike still a possibility, the movie studios long ago decided to push films to completion before the contract expired today. TV production has also been hot and heavy, but a strike by actors would disrupt schedules and shows. The smart money in Hollywood is that a strike will be avoided, but we'll stay tuned.