The SAG-AFTRA union is on strike, making this the first time writers and actors have gone on strike together in nearly 60 years, and the first time SAG has gone on strike since 1980. The decision to strike was made by the SAG-AFTRA leadership committee, following a vote on Thursday July 13, 2023. The strike began on Friday July 14th.
The Hollywood union, SAG-AFTRA, representing over 160,000 screen actors and other professionals, voted overwhelmingly on Monday June 5th to authorize a strike if a new contract was not agreed upon with major studios, streamers, and production companies by June 30th. Ultimately, SAG-AFTRA decided that efforts to approve a new contract had failed on July 13th.
The strike, limited to television and film productions, aims to address issues such as increased base compensation, the impact of inflation and the streaming industry, the threat of unregulated artificial intelligence (AI), benefit plans, and the financial burden of self-taped auditions. The strike would not affect news and broadcast work directly.
One area of common concern among all guilds is AI, with the DGA specifically emphasizing that AI cannot replace the tasks performed by its members. SAG-AFTRA’s Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland asserts that the needs of actors are unique and that the guild’s bargaining strategy is independent of other unions. Lastly, the vote by SAG-AFTRA members and leadership reflects a strong desire for an update of their contract, and highlights the urgency of the negotiations.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios and production companies, initially expressed their commitment to reach a beneficial agreement, but those pre-strike contract negations failed.
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