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SAG, AMPTP HAVE TALKS ABOUT TALKS Thursday, March 13 2008 In an apparent effort to bring a degree of normalcy back to the movie and TV businesses, which are still operating in crisis mode in anticipation of a possible strike by the Screen Actors Guild, the industry's chief negotiator has proposed that contract negotiations with SAG begin on March 31. Nick Counter, president of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, reportedly made the offer to begin early negotiations -- the contract with the (more) AFTRA, NETWORKS SIGN DEAL Monday, March 10 2008 
After
relatively
brief
negotiations,
the
American
Federation
of
Television
and
Radio
Artists
has
reached
a
tentative
three-year
agreement
with
ABC,
CBS,
Fox,
and
NBC
on
a
new
contract
covering
all
programs
except
those
that
are
broadcast
during
primetime.
Joint
talks
with
the
Screen
Actors
Guild
covering
primetime
programs
is
expected
to
begin
with
the
Alliance
of
Motion
Picture
and
Television
Producers
later
this
month
or
early
April,
despite
reluctance
by
SAG
leaders
to
begin
early
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Solidarity between the two principal actors' unions appeared irreparably fractured Saturday as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists voted to break off its 27-year joint bargaining agreement with the Screen Actors Guild. The decision allows AFTRA to begin early separate negotiations for a new contract with the major networks and studios. Until this latest rift, AFTRA was believed to be exercising a moderating influence over the hard-line stance of some SAG leaders, and some observers expressed concern that the split could result in another strike. SAG leaders had been elected on promises to wring additional DVD residuals from the studios and an increase in payments for work shown on cable and the Internet. SAG President Alan Rosenberg accused his AFTRA counterparts of turning "their back on every actor in America." AFTRA President Roberta Reardon shot back that SAG was attempting to undermine her union, most recently by allegedly attempting to become the bargaining agent for actors working on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. On Sunday Rosenberg released a list of "facts," insisting, among other things, that "SAG is not involved in any way in organizing daytime drama actors." 
