PAY PER PLAY STRIKING ACTORS PICKET NESTLE.

Byline: Jennifer Hamm Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Costumed as mothers from the 1950s to the 1990s, striking actors staged a protest on Thursday in front of Nestle's Glendale headquarters.

In the pre-Mother's Day rally, more than 150 actors chanted and cheered as part of their 2-week-old strike over residual payments from commercials on cable television. Members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists are taking part in the action.

``These advertisers are showing that they're not even conscious. They're not thinking with human hearts,'' said Frances Fisher, an actress who starred in ``Titanic,'' and picketed with her 6-year-old daughter, Francesca. ``They're thinking with greedy minds.''

The Glendale-based food company was picked because actresses playing mothers are often used to sell their products, union organizers said.

About 35,000 SAG/AFTRA actors in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Chicago went on strike early this month over the issue of whether actors should receive residual payments every time a commercial is aired on cable.

Since the 1950s, actors have received the residuals when their commercials play on the networks, but they aren't receiving ``pay-per-play'' on cable channels.

SAG/AFTRA members are also asking for a system that would monitor when and where their commercials are played so they can receive accurate residual checks.

Actor Ed Asner, a former SAG president, walked the picket line Wednesday as protesters chanted, ``Nestle's cheap.''

``In this so-called boom period, actors have gotten zilch,'' Asner said.

Actress Sonya Maddox of Studio City said she recently received two 66-cent residual checks for commercials aired on cable channels. But Maddox, like many actors on strike, said she relies on the residual checks.

``I make my living as a commercial actress,'' said Maddox, who also chairs the women's committee for SAG/AFTRA.

John McGuinn, chief negotiator representing advertisers nationwide, said Thursday the industry wants to pay actors a flat fee for commercials on both cable and network channels.

The advertisers are offering an upfront payment of $2,575 for network commercials, which is below average, McGuinn said. But the savings from network commercial payments, he said, would be used to give a 60 percent increase in cable commercial salaries.

``What we are offering is a net increase in payroll,'' McGuinn said.

Negotiations for a new three-year contract began on Feb. 14 but broke off April 14. No date is set to resume formal talks.

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2 photos

Photo: (1) Protester Dan Gilvezan, dressed as a mother, marches in front of Nestle headquarters in Glendale on Thursday.

(2) Striking members of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists march.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer