SAG has a deal with the studios, averting a potentially devastating strike, reports the
Los Angeles Times. The two-year contract is similar to other agreements negotiated last year with other
talent unions. It provides for a pay increase of 3%, and for the first time, gives actors residual pay for shows that stream on Web sites such as Hulu. Some 78% of members voted for the deal, and 35%
of 110,000 union members cast ballots -- a high number by union standards. Still, divisions remain: Tom Hanks and George Clooney backed the contract, saying it was the best considering the economic
climate, but SAG President Ed Asner and Martin Sheen disagreed, saying the agreement short-changed actors for work distributed on the Internet.