Could SAG's Election Affect Negotiations With Studios?

Nope! The Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers will continue to slug it out over a new contract, whether or not top board members change in an upcoming S.A.G. election.

On Tuesday, S.A.G. will be releasing an official list of candidates for new national board members and alternatives. About one-third of the total 69 national board seats are open for election this year. The New York division alone is electing five national board members and six alternatives, according to Nikki Finke, writing on her Deadline Hollywood Daily blog. Hollywood and New York division ballots will be mailed out on Aug. 19 and results are expected back soon after the deadline, which is Sept. 18.

But even if the top dogs at S.A.G. get switched around, the members sparring with producers will remain the same, she reports.

Because SAG rules dictate that, regardless of whichever slate is voted in, the guild's negotiating team stays the same and in charge of the talks until the new contract is bargained. So the board may change but not the negotiating team. Besides, the first meeting of the new board elected September 18th isn't until October.

She has more here.