After the writers' strike was settled last year, Hollywood began bracing for the other shoe to drop, as the Screen Actors Guild prepared to renegotiate its contract with The Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers. Concerns over compensation from new media split SAG into outspoken factions, with some die-hards pushing for the most comprehensive new contract possible, and others insisting that given the damage done by the writers' strike—and given the nation's economic woes—this wasn't the time for a long, drawn-out battle. The contract ratified by SAG last night (by more than 78% of the members who voted) provides for a wage increase and some of the new media compensation actors were requesting, though it also leaves a lot unsettled. The contract expires in 2011, at the same time as the contract recently signed by The American Federation Of Television And Radio Artists, a separate organization whose earlier negotiations with AMPTP put pressure on SAG to move quickly. When SAG elects new leaders later this year, a more formal alliance with AFTRA will be a major plank in most candidates' platforms, as will strategizing for the next contract. For a more thorough breakdown of the vote and its implications, check out the coverage in The Hollywood Reporter and The Wrap.
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