Negotiations continue between actors, producers

From Lauren Hunter
CNN Showbiz Today Reports

(CNN) -- The clock is counting down in the negotiations between Hollywood producers and two actors' organizations -- the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists -- but as the June 30 expiration date nears, observers don't appear to be worried.

"I don't think there's going to be a SAG strike," says Steven Bochco, creator and producer of shows such as "NYPD Blue" and the upcoming "Philly." "I never thought there would be a writers' strike. I think we'll all be going back to work in the summertime, business as usual."

The writers' guild negotiations continued past the scheduled deadline, but concluded in a deal May 4 without a strike. As with those talks, negotiators have placed a news blackout on the discussions between the actors and producers. Both sides said the issues on the table were substantive, but called the negotiations an exercise in problem solving.

A primary concern for the actors' organizations is the mid-range, working-class actor. SAG figures indicate that 2 percent of the guild's 100,000 members make more than $100,000 a year. About 70 percent make less than $7,500 a year, which is the minimum needed to qualify for pension and health benefits. Other issues include increased residual payments for work airing on cable television, DVD, the Internet and overseas.

"We're here to speak for the working-class actor, the people just like you, who have family responsibilities, put the kids through school, pay their mortgages and their car payments on time," says John Connolly, co-chair of the negotiating team for AFTRA.

Still, despite the heavy weight of the issues and the concern about a strike, observers believe the negotiations can't have been that troubling so far. Negotiators even finished a little early a week ago to enable some of the group to attend the Lakers-76ers basketball game.

"When they're breaking for basketball games," says the Hollywood Reporter's Martin Grove, "you know that it's not (going) too, too badly."

Negotiations resumed Thursday.