Movie producers set Aug. deadline for SAG contract

The producers alliance threw down that gauntlet in its final offer, which it said included $250 million in additional compensation over three years.

If the deadline passes before the union ratifies a contract, that means the actors could lose more than $200,000 a day in increases dating to July 1, the day the new contract would take effect.

The announcement was made as the two sides appeared to be headed toward an impasse in their contract talks.

"The producers have included this traditional incentive in the final offer in order to get everyone back to work," the producers alliance said in a statement.

Norman Samnick, a lawyer who has represented the studios in talks with actors, said such a clause was not unusual when negotiations extend beyond the end of a contract.

"The companies may use that as a point of negotiation," Samnick said.

The studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, plan to meet with the guild Thursday afternoon to discuss their final offer.

The guild said Wednesday it was finalizing its response but did not comment on the deadline.

On Tuesday, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, a smaller actors union with 70,000 members, said it had ratified a three-year deal retroactive to July 1.