A-List Stars Reject Call for Strike

LOS ANGELES, December 16:
George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Alec Baldwin are among the signatories of a
petition calling on the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to halt the
strike authorization vote.

More than 130 noted actors
have put their name to the petition, according to wire reports. Among the other
signatories are Sally Field, Kevin Spacey, Steve Carell and Matt Damon. "We
support our union and we support the issues we're fighting for, but we do not believe
in all good conscience that now is the time to be putting people out of
work," the petition states.

The move comes a few days
after the union's New York board rejected the call for a strike. Ballots are
due to go out to SAG members on January 2. The union needs for 75 percent of
those who vote to say yes to the strike. Among those in favor of a yes vote are
Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh and Mel Gibson.

The AMPTP has said that it
will not budge from its final offer.

—By Mansha Daswani