Hollywood actors guild votes to authorize strike, as writers strike continues
Source: ABC News
June 5, 2023, 10:19 PM
Actors represented by the Hollywood union SAG-AFTRA voted Monday evening to authorize a strike if they don't agree on a new contract with major studios, streamers and production companies by June 30. The strike authorization was approved by an overwhelming margin nearly 98% of the 65,000 members who cast votes.
The guild, which represents over 160,000 screen actors, broadcast journalists, announcers, hosts and stunt performers, begins its negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on Wednesday, over a month after the Writers Guild of America began striking over its own dispute with AMPTP. If the actors union ultimately moves forward with the strike, it would be limited to television and film productions; news and broadcast work would not be directly affected.
At stake is increased base compensation, which actors say has been undercut by inflation and the streaming ecosystem, the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence, benefit plans and the burden of self-taped auditions the cost of which used to be the responsibility of casting and production. We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of achieving a new agreement that is beneficial to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry overall, the AMPTP said in a statement Monday.
The strike authorization vote, a tool at the bargaining table, comes at a pivotal moment for the industry as 11,500 writers enter their sixth week of striking and the directors guild reviews a recently reached tentative agreement with studios on issues like wages, streaming residuals, and artificial intelligence. Should the actors strike, the industry already hobbled by the writers strike would come to a near-standstill, from production to promoting completed projects.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/hollywood-actors-guild-votes-authorize-strike-writers-strike-99858684
ananda
(28,860 posts)Luckily, I am finding some good old ones.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,611 posts)Does that include cable news?
I cant remember if there has ever been a SAG-AFTRA strike of significance in recent memory
BumRushDaShow
(128,970 posts)although I don't know how they work that with some anchors who have their own contracts.
The last big SAG strike was over 20 years ago (in 2000).
Fiendish Thingy
(15,611 posts)This strike looks to be massive, affecting nearly all entertainment and news.
BumRushDaShow
(128,970 posts)it was the last time SAG had a strike action and "commercials" ARE the "revenue streams" that the broadcast networks rely on (and in that case, it lasted 6 months).
Magoo48
(4,709 posts)Solidarity
Warpy
(111,256 posts)run by honchos who are making billions off their work while paying them pennies at the basic rate. Yes, big stars can make a fortune, but movies and TV would be like watching paint dry if the stars appeared with no supporting cast and no writers to make them look clever.
Right now, it's heading in to rerun season, which favors the honchos waiting out the writers and actors. If they don't cave, the honchos will be hurting by August, when they're trying to find programming to premiere next fall.
Good luck to them on being able to stick this one out.