SEAN PENN - DE FACTO STRIKE? WHAT DE FACTO STRIKE?

DE FACTO STRIKE? WHAT DE FACTO STRIKE?

A spokesman for the semi-official group that coordinates the issuance of production permits for location shooting in Los Angeles has taken issue with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which said that the impasse in negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild had led to a "de facto strike" in Hollywood that had virtually shut down motion picture production. Todd Lindgren of FilmL.A. told the Associated Press that in the five-week period ending June 24, FilmL.A. obtained 21 permits, up from 13 during the same period a year ago. "I wouldn't say it is the de facto strike that the AMPTP has mentioned. ... We are seeing the opposite." Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild on Thursday stepped up its campaign to encourage members who also hold cards in the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to reject a contract that AFTRA union leaders had negotiated with the AMPTP. Dual cardholders received an email message containing quotes from Sean Penn, Sandra Oh, Edward Asner, Justine Bateman, Anne-Marie Johnson, and Jobeth Williams denouncing the AFTRA deal. AFTRA has claimed that SAG has misrepresented the terms of the deal.

04/07/2008