Photo Credit: Rolling Stone
The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, more commonly known as SAG-AFTRA, started their strike on July 14, 2023 and it’s still happening. This has been an ongoing strike for actors and performers. The reason for the strike is because they are fighting for better pay and better working conditions since streaming platforms are changing the television industry.
There seems to be hope for negotiations. This past week, “the heads of four studios have met three times… the first negotiations since the strike began in July,” according to Variety. They also reported that some actors remain hopeful for a final deal as soon as this week, but there are also some who don’t expect a resolution until next month. The LA Times said that sources suggested that a deal is not yet close, but the meetings were productive. “Company executives [heard] directly from union leaders, including SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher,” according to the LA Times. These meetings will resume on Monday, October 9.
Photo Credit: US Weekly
Photo Credit: US Weekly
Very well known actors such as Mandy Moore, Dave Franco, and Lance Bass hope to see a change. Despite the fact that the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) strike recently ended on September 27, those protestors are still picketing in support of the actors, according to Variety.
The labor union is represented by over 160,000 TV and film actors who voted to go on strike. They agreed to go on strike after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) didn’t agree to fair wages. According to US Weekly, Drescher spoke out about what she believes back at a press conference on July 13, 2023. Drescher said, “It’s a very serious thing that impacts thousands, if not millions of people across this country and around the world… We have no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity.” This shows how important this strike is and how it affects people from all over the world. It’s also affecting people’s careers.
According to US Weekly, AMPTP is disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has walked away from negotiations. “This is the Union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offers of historic pay and residual increase…a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more,” AMPTP stated.
Photo Credits: Los Angeles Times
According to the Los Angeles Times, “Actors also want rules governing self-recorded auditions, saying producers have shifted that expense to performers and it has become a costly burden.” Actors demand a change. They want governing and self-recording. They also want their roles and jobs done properly.
