Screen Actors Guild declares strike, halting Hollywood operations after lengthy talks.

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Votes to Strike

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) National Board made a bold decision on Thursday, voting in favor of a strike. This comes after SAG-AFTRA failed to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) by their negotiation deadline.

SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP began negotiations on June 7, originally aiming to reach a deal by June 30. However, the deadline was extended to July 12. AMPTP represents major players in the industry such as Amazon/MGM, Apple, NBCUniversal, Disney/ABC/Fox, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, and Warner Bros.

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The timing of this strike vote is significant, as it comes just a day after SAG-AFTRA celebrated its 90th anniversary. President Fran Drescher expressed the union’s frustration with AMPTP’s responses to their proposals, stating, “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.”

AMPTP, on the other hand, expressed disappointment with SAG-AFTRA’s decision to walk away from negotiations. They highlighted their offer of historic pay and residual increases, higher caps on pensions and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, and a groundbreaking AI proposal to protect actors’ digital likenesses.

AMPTP predicts that this strike will deepen the financial hardship for thousands, as SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 performers.

Meanwhile, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike for over 70 days, with over 11,500 writers involved. The WGA is also in a standoff with the same group of studios, networks, and streamers, fighting for higher wages.

Interestingly, the last time both WGA and SAG-AFTRA were simultaneously on strike was in 1960, during Ronald Reagan’s tenure as the union president before his presidential campaign.

This is a developing story.

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