TOM HANKS - STARS URGE SAG LEADERS TO BEGIN TALKS TO AVOID STRIKE

STARS URGE SAG LEADERS TO BEGIN TALKS TO AVOID STRIKE

TOM HANKS, GEORGE CLOONEY, MERYL STREEP and ROBERT DE NIRO have taken out newspaper advertisements appealing to leaders of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) to start talks with movie studios in a bid to avert a possible strike. SAG members will reportedly hold a mass walk-out this summer (08) after their current contract expires on 30 June if negotiations with studio bosses over pay and conditions do not prove fruitful. The Hollywood stars want SAG directors to enter talks with studios before it's too late to avoid strike action, and took out adverts in trade papers Variety and The Hollywood Reporter to appeal to the leaders of the 120,000-strong union. Their call comes just days after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) members voted to end a three-month strike over Internet royalties - which has crippled the American TV and movie industry - earlier this week (begs11Feb08). But SAG national executive director Doug Allen insisted the union would open negotiations "at a time that will most benefit our members".