Hollywood actors' strike talks reach cliffhanger
Crunch talks to avert a strike by Hollywood actors are inching towards a final deal after going beyond the wire.
The negotiations between showbusiness bosses and the actors' unions over pay deals for film and television actors went on past a deadline on midnight on Saturday and are continuing behind closed doors.
The dispute could result in a walk-out by Hollywood's biggest names, who are all members of the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
Sources from both sides told Daily Variety much of a tentative deal had been agreed and there was little likelihood of the unions' members being asked to back industrial action, which would paralyse film-making and keep new episodes of hit shows off the air.
The actors had been seeking more cash from when their work is shown outside America and on the internet, as well as a rise in their £435-a-day minimum wage.
It appears the actors had secured a 3.5% pay rise as well as unlimited cash from the sale of their shows and films outside the US but other parts of their demands, which included more cash from video sales, are still under discussion.
Both sides are officially keeping silent about the details of a deal, which would come after film and television writers reached a similar settlement well after their strike deadline had expired.
But bit-part actors are already counting the cost of the threat of industrial action, which prompted many film companies to put their productions on ice until the autumn in case there was a strike.
Actors in small film and television roles have reported the number of parts available has fallen by 50% from normal levels because of the cutbacks.
Both sides came under pressure earlier this month from Los Angeles city officials who feared a strike would devastate their city's economy.
