The first double SAG-AFTRA and WGA strike is on for the first time since the 1960s when Ronald Reagan was head of the SAG union. WGA has been on strike since May.
Actors will join Hollywood writers at the picket lines tomorrow morning after the strike goes into effect tonight at midnight.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher passionately stated at today’s press conference, “What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor.”
She spoke on studio CEOs making hundreds of millions of dollars and forgetting about “the essential contributors” of the industry.
Yesterday, the Screen Actor’s Guild celebrated their 90th anniversary in the midst of an ongoing four weeks of negotiations with Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
“We are the victims here. Victimized by a greedy entity,” Drescher said. She noted that the entire business model has changed due to streaming, digital and AI.
As AMPTP was “unwilling to offer a fair deal on key issues… SAG-AFTRA’s national board voted unanimously to strike,” said National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
AMPTP represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery. They separately issued a release stating that they offered deals in the double digits.
Crabtree-Ireland laid out an example of studios wishing to scan a background actor’s body and being able to use their likeness in the future for only one day’s pay.
“We have a problem. This is a very seminal hour for us.” Drescher said despite her hopes to avert the strike.
