By Bob Tourtellotte
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Leaders of the second largest U.S.
actors union ratified a tentative prime-time TV contract with
Hollywood's major studios on Saturday and recommended member
approval, heightening tensions with the larger Screen Actors
Guild.
The National Board of Directors of the American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists, AFTRA, which represents 70,000
actors, also warned SAG, the No. 1 union, against any attempts
to interfere with AFTRA's membership vote.
Last month, AFTRA negotiators reached agreement with the
studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and
Television Producers. The board vote on Saturday represented
the last step before a full membership vote.
SAG remains embroiled in its own talks with the AMPTP over
a new contract for its roughly 120,000 members. Since many
actors are members of both organizations, lack of support for
the AFTRA contract could be viewed as strengthening SAG's hand
in its attempt to get a better deal than AFTRA's.
SAG, for the most part, represents film and TV actors in
Hollywood, while AFTRA's membership includes many daytime TV
actors and radio performers.
The AFTRA deal has been viewed as putting pressure on SAG
to accept a similar deal and avoid the threat of a possible
actors' strike when its contract expires on June 30.
Last November, the Writers Guild of America went on strike
against studios, partly over Web-related issues. The 100-day
work stoppage led to $2.5 billion in losses for the Los
Angeles-area economy, according to the Milken Institute think
tank, and Hollywood wants to avoid another strike.
The Hollywood actors' labor talks deal with many of the
same issues, including more pay when TV shows are sold in
ancillary markets such as on DVDs and how much pay they will
receive when their work is distributed on the Internet.
