Strike May Stop Filming Here [St. Louis Post-Dispatch/Jul 31/1980/US]


A national strike by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen actors Guild is threatening to affect the filming of a movie here.

Escape From New York, starring Ernest Borgnine and Adrienne Barbeau, is scheduled for location shooting here next week. But unless the company producing the film reaches agreement with the unions, local federation members will not perform in the movie, says Larry Ward, the union's executive secretary here.

The company, Slam Dunk Productions, may settle soon with the Screen Actors Guild, Ward said. He noted that, except for the movie, the national strike will have little impact here.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists has about 480 members locally, mostly in the broadcast field. Contracts are in effect with local stations and production companies and are not subject to the national negotiations, Ward said.

The national strike is over new technology and unions' demand that their members receive part of the revenues from pay television, video cassettes and discs.