Another Hollywood Strike?? Actor Unions Split in Contract Talks

As one strike winds down, another potentially begins...

In a really bad sign, the two actor unions have decided to split instead of unite in time for their contract negotiations with Hollywood producers. The American Federation for Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild have forgone an alliance and bitterly split over the weekend, potentially damaging the actors' chances of scoring a new contract the easy way. Their contract is up on June 30th.

An overstep of boundaries have reportedly caused the split. AFTRA was infuriated when SAG attempted to represent actors from daytime soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. The power play led to AFTRA president Roberta Reardon calling SAG an untrustworthy group who have attempted to undermine AFTRA for a long time in trade magazine Variety. Alan Rosenberg, the president of SAG, rebutted by say he was tired to AFTRA's trust lectures.

Many actors including George Clooney and Meryl Streep asked for negotiations to begin back in February to avoid another Hollywood strike. However, this latest news may significantly damage the chances of a peaceful resolution.

The Screen Actors Guild consists of 120,000 members, while the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists holds 70,000 members