The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists National Board voted to strike Thursday.
SAG-AFTRA passed its second negotiation deadline with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers Wednesday. Both originally began negotiating June 7 with a June 30th deadline, which was ultimately extended to July 12. AMPTP represents Amazon/MGM, Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney/ABC/Fox, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, and Warner Bros.
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This vote to strike comes a day after the union’s 90th anniversary.
“SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry,” President Fran Drescher said in a statement, violating the media blackout. “The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board.”
Later, Drescher would make a further statement at a press conference Thursday.
“We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity,” Drescher said. “I cannot believe it quite frankly, how far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty that they’re losing money left and right while giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment.”
Drescher went on to call the AMPTP officials “crazy,” “tone-deaf,” and their offers “insulting.” She predicted this will “impact every single person that is in labor.”
“What are we doing? Moving around furniture on the Titanic?” Drescher said. “It’s crazy.”
“We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations. This is the Union’s choice, not ours,” AMPTP said in its own statement. “In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pensions and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses and more.”
AMPTP predicted that the decision will only “deepen the financial hardship for thousands.” SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 performers.
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Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America has remained on strike for over 70 days, in what includes some 11,500 writers. WGA has come to a head with the same group of studios, networks, and streamers over higher wages.
The last time both WGA and SAG-AFTRA were simultaneously on strike was in 1960, with Ronald Reagan at the helm before he ran for president.
