It’s official, the Screen Actor’s Guild is joining the WGA on strike against the Hollywood Studios and Producers. On Thursday, SAG-AFTRA authorized a strike after contract negotiations reached an impasse between SAG and AMPTP.
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland had this to say in a press conference for SAG.
“Union members should withhold their labor until a fair contract can be achieved,” he said. “They have left us with no alternative.”
The Union has emphasized the role of artificial intelligence and the transition to streaming in explaining the need for a strike. All production under the SAG-AFTRA TV and film contract will immediately halt. This is the first time since 1980 that SAG has gone on strike.
The only time both the writers and actors have gone on strike together was in 1960 when Ronald Reagan led SAG. That strike was surrounding the dawn of TV as a medium and how to properly compensate. The more things change, the more they stay the same. This time around both guilds are taking on AI and being properly compensated for the middle class of writers and actors on streaming.
The studios have dug in on both fronts, especially so on the idea of sharing streaming viewership data and paying creators more for high-performing shows.
Here’s what the AMPTP had to say in a statement:
“A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life. The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”
We’ll keep you updated on this situation as it develops.
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