ACTORS RALLY BEHIND RULE UNION WANTS GLOBAL CONTRACT COVERAGE.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

In a rare show of solidarity, the Screen Actors Guild and three sister unions pressured producers and studios Wednesday by pledging a united battle for actors to have the protection of their SAG contract when working on productions in foreign countries.

SAG's enforcement of what is called Global Rule One officially went into effect Wednesday. Among those making passionate calls for industrywide cooperation were actor Kevin Spacey and SAG President Melissa Gilbert.

``It starts today!'' Gilbert said to applause from her colleagues. ``No traveling without a SAG contract anywhere in the world.''

Two-time Oscar-winner Spacey has taken an outspoken role in promoting enforcement of the rule, which calls for the equivalent of SAG contract protections for SAG members wherever they work in the world.

``We expect this industry will honor the rules of Screen Actors Guild members or they simply won't be able to hire us anywhere,'' Spacey said.

He cited ``The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ``The Matrix'' as examples of major film productions in recent years that have not honored the SAG contract. Spacey said actors in those and other high-grossing major productions did not receive any contributions to their pension plan or SAG's health plan.

``We believe if you contribute as much as actors do to the success of a film, you ought to be able to reap its benefits,'' he said.

Clearly the star attraction at the press conference held at SAG headquarters in Los Angeles, Spacey was flanked by several other well-known actors including Ed Harris, Tony Danza and Eriq LaSalle.

``Let's be honest, it makes sense,'' Danza said in an interview. ``When you think of the great movies like 'Lord of the Rings,' it's the little guy taking it in the chin given our industry's need for consolidation and globalization.''

More than two dozen members of the guild's often fractious Hollywood branch stood behind Gilbert and SAG's other two national officers, Elliot Gould and Kent McCord, during the press conference.

``Today we stand united,'' Gilbert said. ``I am proud to be joined by SAG members who represent the depth and breadth of our union.''

Gilbert called for cooperation from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the labor-negotiating arm of Hollywood's major film studios and producers. She wants the ``AMPTP companies to honor the spirit and intent of their agreement with Screen Actors Guild and to recognize the reality that many of their current business practices deny the SAG members important benefits and protections.''

The AMPTP said Wednesday that SAG has overstepped the bounds by attempting to enforce a rule that they say violates a labor agreement previously negotiated between the two groups.

``Our contract with SAG has a provision which says they cannot implement a working rule that violates our collective bargaining agreement,'' said AMPTP President J. Nicholas Counter. ``This would unilaterally change the scope of the agreement, which does not cover non-U.S. productions.''

Counter said the AMPTP expects to meet with SAG representatives within the next few days to discuss their differences.

``I think we need to work out a solution that everyone can live with and avoid lost work opportunities for actors,'' he said. ``That's the downside in all this. Actors may lose employment where we don't think they should.''

According to figures released by SAG, overseas production has resulted in the loss of $22.9 million from the SAG pension and health plan over the next five years. In addition, it has led to more $3 million in lost dues and $165 million in lost earnings for SAG members.

The guild projects that without global enforcement of Rule One over the next five years, SAG will lose $35.8 million from its pension and health plan, $4.83 million in dues and $258 million in lost earnings.

``The end result is that when you reach a point in your career when you want to reap the benefits for your work, there will now be some benefits wherever you worked in the world,'' McCord said. ``You'll have a pension.''

Joining the actors and current SAG leaders were past SAG Presidents William Daniels, Kathleen Nolan and Barry Gordon and representatives from several of the entertainment industry's major guilds: the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America-West, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

WGA-West Secretary-Treasurer Patric M. Verrone said his guild is ``deeply concerned'' about the AMPTP's stance on the issue.

``It is the right of any union to enforce its rules and require its members working in the U.S. or abroad to abide by the provisions of its contract,'' Verrone said. ``The AMPTP's action is ill considered and an unwanted intervention in the internal affairs of a sister guild.''

A grass-roots movement for extending Rule One beyond U.S. borders began more than six years ago. Since then, actors have seen an increasing amount of film and television production leave the U.S. to such countries as Canada, Australia and Great Britain, where production is less costly.

SAG's national board voted unanimously last summer to extend and enforce Rule One internationally.

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Photo:

(color) Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, center, stands with stars Tony Danza, Eriq LaSalle, Elliot Gould and Kent McCord in speaking in favor of Screen Actors Guild Global Rule One.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer