Washington
(ANI):
More
than
130
Hollywood
celebrities,
including
George
Clooney
and
Tom
Hanks
have
signed
a
letter
discouraging
members
of
the
Screen
Actors'
Guild
(SAG)
from
striking.
The
SAG
wants
to
strike
over
what
it
sees
as
an
unfair
contract
with
the
Alliance
of
Motion
Picture
and
Television
Producers
(AMPTP),
reports
Contactmusic.
Studios
were
alarmed
by
SAG's
public
support
for
the
striking
Writers'
Guild
of
America
(WGA)
during
their
three-month
industrial
action.
However,
with
the
economic
climate
uncertain,
many
high-profile
actors
are
resolutely
against
a
strike.
Among
others
endorsing
to
vote
no
against
a
potential
strike
authorisation
are
Matt
Damon,
Alan
Alda,
Jason
Alexander,
Alec
Baldwin,
Steve
Carell,
Billy
Crystal,
Cameron
Diaz,
Sally
Field,
Morgan
Freeman,
Jeremy
Irons,
Helen
Hunt,
Diane
Lane,
Helen
Mirren,
Kevin
Spacey
and
Charlize
Theron.
They
said
a
strike
would
worsen
the
economic
situation
of
many
actors
and
stressed
that
uniting
with
the
writers''
and
directors'
guilds
would
allow
for
improved
contracts
in
the
future.
"We
feel
very
strongly
that
SAG
members
should
not
vote
to
authorize
a
strike
at
this
time.
We
don''t
think
that
an
authorisation
can
be
looked
at
as
merely
a
bargaining
tool.
It
must
be
looked
at
as
what
it
is
an
agreement
to
strike
if
negotiations
fail," the
letter
said.
"None
of
our
friends
in
the
other
unions
are
truly
happy
with
the
deals
they
made
in
their
negotiations," in
reference
to
the
deals
made
between
the
AMPTP
and
the
writers'
and
directors'
unions.
"Three
years
from
now
all
the
union
contracts
will
be
up
again
at
roughly
the
same
time.
At
that
point
if
we
plan
and
work
together
with
our
sister
unions
we
will
have
incredible
leverage,"
the
letter
added.