Actors "Unite for Strength" in SAG Negotiations

A small group of actors has come together in light of fruitless negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and major studios. The members, naming the group "Unite for Strength," will apply for positions on the Guild's national board, in an effort to bypass the union's current leadership, reported E! Online.

Amongst the members of "Unite for Strength" are Desperate Houswives' Doug Savant, The West Wing's Dule Hill, and Private Practice costars Kate Walsh and Amy Brenneman. The group has accumulated a member base 31 strong.

The sub-union was born out of the drawn out stalemate between SAG and major studios. Members oppose current SAG President, Alan Rosenberg, who has continued to disallow SAG members to vote on a new three-year deal proposed by the studios.

According to E! Online, SAG leaders have reportedly made deals with several indie film production companies in an attempt to keep actors working into the future. So far, there is no word of a SAG strike, and following a devastating writers' strike, let's hope it doesn't get that far. Meanwhile, the SAG's current contract is, well, no longer current, having expired on June 30 this year.

"With the immense challenges actors face today, we need all the strength we can muster. And that means electing union leadership that is committed to uniting actors to fight for our common future," said "Unite for Strength" leader Ned Vaughn in a statement reported by E! Online.

"Unite for Strength" has also shown interest in a possible merger with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.