Injunction Request Against SAG Denied

LOS ANGELES: A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has denied an attempt by the head of the Screen Actors Guild to reinstate the union’s ousted chief negotiator, clearing the way for resumed talks with Hollywood producers.

Alan Rosenberg, the president of SAG, along with other senior members of the organization, had attempted to reverse the written assent by the union’s national board last month that ousted Doug Allen as chief negotiator and national executive director. According to a SAG statement, Judge James Chalfant "denied the order on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no probability of success on the merits of their claims."

The union’s interim national executive director, David White, noted: "I’m pleased that we can put this matter behind us and dedicate our complete focus to the needs of Screen Actors Guild members. There’s a lot of work ahead of us."

The SAG national board of directors will meet jointly with AFTRA on Saturday to discuss upcoming commercial contracts negotiations, and will have a SAG board meeting on Sunday. SAG members have been working without a contract since June 30, with previous negotiations coming to a halt primarily over the issue of new-media residuals. The AMPTP and SAG were set to meet earlier this week, but talks were postponed as a result of Rosenberg’s legal action. A new date for talks has not yet been announced. The union’s leadership and membership base have both been divided over a strike action as a result of concerns over the worsening U.S. economy.