De Niro urges SAG not to strike

Karlovy Vart , Czech Republic -- Film star Robert De Niro is urging the Screen Actors Guild, which has been considering a contract proposal from Hollywood's producers, not to go on strike.

SAG has been reviewing a proposal the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has described as its final offer for about a week. SAG's previous contract expired last Tuesday.

"I do not think it is a good time to strike now. The issues could be resolved over the next couple of years (without strike action),"

Variety.com quoted De Niro as saying at a news conference to discuss his new film "What Just Happened," which opened the Karlovy Vary Film Festival. He was also given a lifetime achievement award at the festival
in Czech Republic.

The entertainment industry trade paper said De Niro told the crowd he believes the Directors Guild of America was recently able to reach a fair deal with the AMPTP, regarding some of the same issues SAG is trying to resolve because the directors had "done their homework."
"I do not think the actors have done that," said De Niro, who is also a director and producer. "I do not know if it is the right time to be doing this at all with the economy the way it is."

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.