The contentiousness between the ad industry and the actors unions continues to escalate, adding to the prevalent assessment that the current strike will likely be a lengthy one. At press time, there was no movement afoot to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table. Instead, the conduit thats emerged for an exchange between the parties has been the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Last week (5/2), the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) filed charges with the NLRB in New York against the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). The JPC alleges that SAG and AFTRA have engaged in unfair labor practices, and failed to bargain in good faith relative to negotiating a new commercials contract for actors. The JPC filing came the day after SAG and AFTRA launched their strike against the ad industry.
However, in a joint statement, John McGuire and Mathis Dunn, the chief negotiators for SAG and AFTRA, respectively, said that the unions legal counsel has reviewed the JPC charges and found them to be groundless and without merit. As SHOOT went to press, SAG and AFTRA said they were preparing an appropriate response to specifically address JPC contentions, and at the same time plan to file their own set of unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against the ad industry.
In its complaint, the JPC claims that SAG and AFTRA violated section 8(b)(1)(A) of the National Labor Relations Act by threatening non-union actors, who choose to perform in U.S. spots during the strike, that they will never be able to work again once an industry-wide settlement is reached. The JPC filing also cites union threats that SAG and AFTRA members who cross picket lines will be expelled immediately from, and not be readmitted to, the talent unions.
John McGuinn, the JPCs chief negotiator, said, We cannot allow SAG/AFTRAs unlawful public threats to end the careers of actors who choose to work during the strike to continue. As earlier reported, the JPC plans to keep on producing spots as agencies and advertisers explore non-union talent options-and the possibility of working with willing union performers-in the U.S. and in foreign countries.
