Actors and studio talks on hold

SAG negotiator Tom LaGrua is leading talks

Crunch talks between actors unions and studio bosses are taking a break after just four sessions of negotiations.

The two sides have agreed to suspend talks for six days over the American Memorial Day holiday period.

The current contract between two of the biggest unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is due to expire on 30 June.

The signs of slow progress indicate that talks will go down to the wire, perhaps passing the deadline date.

The possibility of strike action diminished when the Writers Guild of America settled their contract wrangles with AMPTP at the last minute.

Before the talks opened both sides were confident a deal could be reached in time.

Analyse

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have handed in their formal proposals.

Both sides are now analysing the demands closely.

The parties have sat around the negotiating table for four afternoon sessions since the talks began on 15 May.

Negotiations are now on hold until 30 May to allow representatives to get home for the Memorial Day vacation.

A news blackout has surrounded the talks from the outset but it is believed the Writers Guild contract will act as a starting block.

Although there is no indication of how they are progressing, trade newspaper Variety speculates the sides remain distant.

The main focus of the talks is for more better payments for actors, with more cash for repeats on satellite and cable TV, foreign channels and on new formats and technologies.