So, I lied…well, not really…I said I might take a total blog break but…here I am in Los Angeles and was up early reading the LATimes and saw Ed Asner’s plea to support the strike authorization request from the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild, which is embroiled in a pretty intense internal fight over the strike vote. You might remember that Asner was president of SAG in the early 1980s and caught a lot of grief from the more conservative members of SAG (particularly from the now-departed Charlton Heston). Here is Asner’s plea:

We can’t take this deal because it will destroy the ability of actors to earn a living. Not top-earning stars, of course, but the hardworking players whose faces you see in countless television shows and movies. I can’t in good conscience stand down and let that happen. Almost all informed actors, including some recent outspoken A-listers, agree that what’s being offered is inadequate for SAG members. But many of them still won’t vote to authorize a strike. Do they realize how their "go along to get along" attitude will affect their brothers and sisters?

   And…

When it comes to union negotiations, the only negotiating strategy that makes sense is to get the best deal for your members. Nobody at SAG has called for a strike, just an authorization to be used at our national board’s discretion. Nobody at SAG wants a strike. We just want a fair deal for actors and the same opportunity to negotiate as any other guild. We want a deal that doesn’t include rollbacks, addresses our specific needs and that allows us to share in the success of new media when that success inevitably arrives.

   Enjoy the holidays…