The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is currently on strike. The ongoing strike of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has brought the entertainment industry to a standstill. As a prominent American Labor Organization, representing a vast network of over 160,000 media professionals worldwide, their proposed strike regulations issued on July 10 are having a significant impact. These regulations strictly prohibit guild actors and actresses from participating in press appearances, photo shoots, or social media advertising. On July 14, the strike was formally declared, with SAG-AFTRA actors joining forces with screenwriters who had initiated a May strike. The consequence has been the near-complete cessation of film and television production. Remarkably, this is the first instance of a joint strike involving actors and actresses from both the film and television industries since 1980, and an unprecedented event since 1960, with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) also on strike simultaneously.
How It Started
In June, the guild took a significant step by voting to authorize a potential strike in case the negotiating committee failed to secure a new contract with major Hollywood studios before June 30. The situation escalated when around 300 actors, including prominent figures like Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Rami Malek, and Amy Schumer, signed a letter threatening to strike. Surprisingly, the number of signatories quickly soared to over 1,000 the following day. The contracts governing TV, theatrical, and streaming agreements between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP expired on July 13 without any new agreement reached, as announced by SAG-AFTRA. Consequently, the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee unanimously voted in favor of striking.
Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the organization’s national executive director and main negotiator, announced the strike during a news conference.
The Why
SAG-AFTRA members are striking for fair pay. Negotiations with major studios like Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, and Warner Bros. have broken down over the past few weeks. The main issues include finding a fair way to assess streaming data for compensation and banning the use of artificial intelligence and computer-generated content in the entertainment industry..
The Global Rule
The labor union’s golden rule: A SAG-AFTRA member must always work under a union contract, no matter where they are in the world.
What Actors Are Saying
While Hollywood has come to a standstill, a few productions have received permission to continue filming, particularly those not affiliated with major studios. Nonetheless, most actors have chosen to show their support for SAG-AFTRA and have ceased working. Among these actors is Viola Davis, who was in the midst of shooting a film for Netflix when she decided to put her tools down in solidarity with the strike.
“I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike. I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA, and the WGA.”
– Viola Davis (Award Winning Actress)
The hope is that the addition of the actors will make for a more powerful negotiation team. — Scott Moore, the co-writer for The Hangover, reportedly told The New York Times, “People like pretty faces. Actors will be better looking than writers, and we might get more attention.”
American actor Max Greenfield is urging the studios and their CEOs to return to the bargaining table. “Be the heroes; come to the table; make a deal,” said Greenfield, who co-stars in the CBS sitcom “The Neighborhood”.
“We had no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it. Quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead for our money, that they’re losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them.”
– Fran Drescher (SAG-AFTRA President )
“If our leadership is saying that the deal isn’t fair, we’ve got to hold strong until we get a deal that’s fair for working actors. It’s the difference between having healthcare and not (having it) for a lot of actors.”
– Matt Damon (Oppenheimer premiere)
What Is Affected
The strike has led to the suspension of several popular shows, including Stranger Things, Saturday Night Live, and The Last of Us. The ongoing strike led to the non-renewal of well-known series like House of the Dragon, American Horror Story, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The ongoing strike is likely to result in a standstill for movie and TV show promotions. The SAG-AFTRA strike could potentially disrupt major events like red carpets, including those at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, and also impact Emmy For Your Consideration campaigns.
What are your thoughts on the potential impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike on the entertainment industry? Do you believe it will lead to significant changes in fair pay and working conditions for actors and actresses? To support the SAG-AFTRA strike, read here.
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