Just so you know: right when we were getting over the Writers Strike, not one but two unions are threatening to bring the film and TV world to a standstill. This time, it's the actors unions -- the Screen Actors Guild or SAG, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or AFTRA, that are causing headaches for the AMPTP. (That's the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.) AFTRA has renegotiated their contract with producers successfully, where as SAG has not, and formally rejects AFTRA's deal (even though a number of individual SAG menbers support it). We'd love to complain about how "Hey what's the deal; Will Smith doesn't have enough personal chefs?" but the fact of the matter is most industry actors rarely get to work -- just like with writers -- so their unions have to be aggressive on their behalf when they can. Or, at least, that's what our Wobbly mom told us when we were but wee coal miners.
Anyway, everyone's got their fingers crossed that a strike can be avoided -- but don't get too cozy.