Where the combatants differ is in how to update the formula. Last year SAG conducted a study that randomly selected 32 commercials, most of them in the cable market. The survey found a discrepancy of thousands of dollars in unpaid fees and in some cases, residuals. Now you have 155 cable outlets to monitor. We need some kind of coverage.
Hopes are higher because of the current negotiations.
We have strategies to turn on the heat even higher. Some of the union's strategies will target manufacturers of the products its members are paid to tout. It's not as if the strike has made commercials disappear. The 167 people watching the NBC Olympics can testify to that. There are also few new spots that feature celebrity appearances or star voice-overs.