There just may be strike in the offing, after a labour contract impasse between actors and the studios, has the Screen Actors Guild deciding to go for a strike authorization vote from its 120,000 strong members.

Mediation has failed to bridge differences over how actors, who have been working without a contract since 30th June 2008, should be paid for work distributed over the Internet. Despite of a failing economy, acknowledgement that an actors' strike could end up crippling Hollywood's production industry, has emboldened the actors' union, putting the studios on the defensive.

The coming weeks are extremely crucial, as a strike could disrupt the Hollywood's Academy Awards season, second year in a row. Federal mediator - Juan Carlos Gonzalez's failure to broker a deal between the guild and the majors means, though the Golden Globes and Oscar hosts and presenters work under AFTRA contracts and would not be in violation of a SAG strike order, an SAG on strike could tell stars to boycott the award shows.

However, the final decision on whether to strike or not rests with the national board.