The SAG strike saga continues to unfold like a movie with the board firing Monday of Doug Allen, national executive director and chief negotiator with the studios.
The moderate faction of the actors union also replaced the negotiating committee – a sign that a SAG feature-primetime deal may be close, Variety reported.
The action also provided that former SAG general counsel David White was installed as interim executive director and senior SAG adviser John McGuire as chief negotiator.
Allen had been at the center of SAG’s bitter polarization between those who urged strike action and moderates who proposed settlement through negotiation.
On the commercial contracts front, SAG and AFTRA’s National Boards worked with the AFL-CIO to establish a framework in which the two unions can negotiate the upcoming AFTRA TV/Radio/Recorded and SAG’s TV commercials contracts.
On January 10, the Joint National Commercials W & W Plenary Committee approved a package of proposals for changes to the commercials contracts.
The Committee has recommended the package for approval by the Joint National Board scheduled to meet by videoconference plenary in Los Angeles and New York on February 7.
Commercials contracts negotiations are scheduled to begin in New York on February 23.
