The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio has recommended a strike in a move that could bring all Hollywood productions to a halt.
The Story: The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for nearly two months with no sign of progress and the unions in Hollywood issued a joint statement Wednesday on their “unwavering support and solidarity” of SAG-AFTRA.
- “Hollywood must be a place where every worker, on-screen and off, is treated according to the value their skills and talents command,” the statement read.
- The current SAG-AFTRA contract expired at 11:59 p.m. PT Wednesday.
- “We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement.
Several major studios including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery “remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members.”
Going deeper: The writer’s strike is costing California’s economy $30 million a day, according to Deadline.
- The biggest concern for SAG-AFTRA is not only money but the impact of AI technology.
- “I think most people don’t understand that most actors don’t make millions of dollars. A lot of us are struggling to eat and pay rent,” John Jared, a SAG-AFTRA member for three years, told ABC News.
Why it matters: The ongoing writers’ strike has halted most television productions, delayed the filming of movies, and forced late-night talk shows to air reruns.
- The actors’ strike will likely force more high-profile movie sets to go dark while talks are ongoing.
