In a new development late today, the Screen Actors Guild put the brakes on a plan to send out strike authorization ballots to its membership on January 2, 2009. SAG’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Doug Allen, announced the change in a message to the 122,000 members posted on the guild’s website.
Allen says the much publicized No SAG Strike petition drive has prompted the need for a face-to-face meeting of the national board in Los Angeles during the week of January 12. Allen admits there’s growing concern in the guild about the opposition campaign, which has collected signatures from 100 or so high-profile celebs and 1,373 other actors.
Meanwhile, the yes on the strike authorization effort has gained the support of 100 other big name actors among more than 2,500 signatures. In January, Allen says the national board will “…discuss how we can address this unfortunate division and restore the consensus demonstrated by the National Board at our October meeting.”
As for the strike authorization vote, Allen says it has been re-scheduled for the three weeks following the special national board meeting in January.
