Writers, Actors Hold National ‘Day of Solidarity’ Rally as Strikes Continue
About 2,000 Hollywood Writers, Actors, and Union Supporters Rally for Fair Pay
About 2,000 Hollywood writers, actors, and other union supporters gathered outside Disney Studios on August 22 for a “National Day of Solidarity” rally, vowing to continue their fight for fair pay.
“We survive a once-in-a-generation tropical storm, a hurricane, an earthquake, a ‘hurriquake,’ and we are here,” said Joely Fisher, secretary and treasurer of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). “We are showing up and standing up to the second-largest media company in the world. Hurricanes and earthquakes are nothing compared to the force of SAG-AFTRA and the [Writers Guild of America] striking at the same time.”
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Union members also rallied in New York City on the same day.
“Our message remains the same: we will be out here day after day until we get fair contracts for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA,” said Josh Gondelman, a Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike captain and TV writer. “When our unions came to the table with [the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers] that is all we asked for and that is all we continue to ask for. These double strikes are not ongoing because of our inability to be realistic, as Bob Iger says. It is Bob Iger and the other CEOs who refuse to see the world as it is … We are not ready to give up.”
Actors and writers have been picketing in Los Angeles and across the country for months. The WGA strike began 111 days before the rally on May 2, while the actors went on strike on July 14.
Steve Moulton, an actor who joined the picket line for the first time, expressed his optimism about the turnout.
“I think we are definitely getting our message out,” said Mr. Moulton. “We have to show the people at the very top that they can’t just hoard all the wealth. People need to be paid fairly and compensated for the work that they’ve done that continues to bring in money.”
One of the concerns in the contract negotiations is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in television and movies. Writers and actors are seeking protection from the potential impact of this emerging technology.
Jackie Gonneau, a voiceover actor, emphasized the importance of fighting for the younger generation to have a viable career in the industry.
“I feel so sorry for these kids, my daughter one of them, because you can’t make the same living that we used to,” said Ms. Gonneau. ”People starting out now don’t have a shot in hell to make even just a normal, middle-class living like I did. We really need to fight for the younger generation.”
While the WGA has resumed talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the SAG-AFTRA union has yet to restart negotiations. The AMPTP represents over 350 American television and film producers.
A recent poll conducted by Data for Progress showed that more than two-thirds of likely voters nationwide support the strikes, with only 18 percent opposed. Even among those who view labor unions negatively, nearly half still support the strikes.
“These polling numbers are profound,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator. “The fight for workers to be fairly compensated for their labor is supported by the vast majority of American people.”
Behind the scenes, SAG-AFTRA negotiators are working closely with the writers guild to achieve a contract that benefits everyone involved in the fight.
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