Recently, there has been a surge of news concerning labor issues within the entertainment industry, and the spotlight is currently on SAG-AFTRA. SAG-AFTRA is the prominent union representing actors in film and television productions across the United States. In a unanimous decision, the partnership has voted to issue a strike order against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade group responsible for negotiating labor agreements with unions on behalf of studios, broadcast networks, and streaming services. This SAG-AFTRA strike will have far-reaching implications, as it will halt nearly all movie and television productions involving live performers until an agreement is reached. Moreover, actors will be prohibited from participating in press or promotional events, including junkets and red-carpet premieres. This strike will mark the first joint action between SAG-AFTRA and the striking writers in over 60 years, commencing midnight on Thursday, July 13.
Understanding the Mechanics of SAG-AFTRA
Unions strengthen through collective bargaining, and SAG-AFTRA boasts the most experienced on-camera actors. Members of SAG-AFTRA are restricted from performing in any production that lacks an agreement with the union. Production teams must first approach the partnership to work with SAG-AFTRA actors in their projects. SAG-AFTRA offers various pre-existing contracts tailored to the type of production and budget size, dictating actors’ compensation, residual payments, and working conditions.
SAG-AFTRA holds a comprehensive contract with the AMPTP, representing significant studios and streaming platforms. This contract is renegotiated every three years and influences the industry’s terms and conditions of paid acting jobs. As the expiration date approached, SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP negotiated to update the contract and resolve conflicts. The most recent contract expired on June 30 without a new deal.
The Current Wave of Strikes in Hollywood
If you’ve sensed an unusually contentious atmosphere between entertainment industry producers and the workforce over the past few months, your observation is accurate. The term “hot labor summer” has gained traction for a reason. The Writers Guild of America (WGA), representing film and television writers, and the Directors Guild of America (DGA), representing directors, including assistant directors, have also been operating on three-year contracts with the AMPTP. Traditionally, these contracts have been synchronized to expire consecutively, starting with the WGA.
On May 30, the WGA’s contract expired without reaching an agreement, prompting its members to go on strike, which has continued for over two months. Writers are striking to address the increasingly unattainable nature of a writing career that offers sustainable income. The rise of streaming services, which can pay less under the current agreements, has played a significant role in this disparity. Notably, the WGA has a history of strike readiness, having previously conducted a powerful strike in 2008 and nearly striking again in 2017. The disruptive impact of streaming has generated hopes that the DGA and SAG-AFTRA will join forces with the WGA for a “triple strike.”
Before negotiations, SAG-AFTRA’s leadership called for a vote on strike authorization. If approved by most members, this authorization empowers the negotiating team to call for a strike if they deem it necessary to secure a fair deal. Unions typically initiate such votes when negotiations falter, as witnessed during the talks between the AMPTP and the WGA. Requesting a strike authorization before negotiations begin strongly indicates the union’s determination to stand firm in its demands. A decisive majority of 97.6% of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of strike authorization, signaling their willingness to make the short-term sacrifices a strike entails and underscoring the urgent need for improved labor practices in the industry. The votes were counted on June 3.
SAG-AFTRA’s Demands from the AMPTP
While specific details remain undisclosed, internal communications from SAG-AFTRA emphasize the need for better compensation, increased contributions to the union’s pension and health fund, and equitable residuals from streaming services comparable to those from theatrical and broadcast productions. The association also seeks tighter regulation of “self-taped auditions,” which have become commonplace. Instead of attending casting sessions, actors are now expected to record auditions themselves, posing logistical challenges as they must provide recording equipment and find their scene partners.
Another crucial concern is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). The possibility of creative workers being replaced by generative AI looms closer than ever, with actors facing significant risks. Voiceover actors have already experienced competition from AI-generated performances. While social media strongly supports entertainment unions, videos featuring AI voiceovers instead of human actors continue to go viral, illustrating a need for coherence. During negotiations, the DGA reached an agreement with the AMPTP and received approval from their membership. However, criticisms of the deal center around the loopholes in protecting directors from having their work diluted by AI.
Events Leading to the SAG-AFTRA Strike
Although the June 30 deadline has passed, the negotiating team initially agreed to extend talks until July 12. While the strike has been authorized, the union is not obligated to call for it. President Fran Drescher, known for her acting career, released a video to reassure members that negotiations were progressing well. However, some members expressed concerns that the negotiating team might settle for a subpar deal. In response, hundreds of members, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Quinta Brunson, signed a letter to SAG-AFTRA leadership, reaffirming their readiness to strike and expressing alarm over potential discrepancies between actors’ and leadership’s willingness to make sacrifices. Internal divisions between union leadership and rank-and-file members are not uncommon. In 2021, the IATSE union, representing behind-the-camera workers, authorized a strike but ultimately accepted a tentative agreement that received only narrow approval from the membership. Some IATSE members felt their leadership needed to represent their interests during that crucial moment adequately.
The worst outcome for any worker movement is a divide between members and leaders, as solidarity is paramount to success. However, SAG-AFTRA’s leadership has realigned with their members, and recent developments indicate that survey cards have been distributed to every member, seeking their input on potential picket line participation. The last joint strike involving actors and writers occurred in 1960, establishing a residual system that sustained an entertainment industry “middle class” for generations. A similar victory today could inspire a new generation of workers to unite and demand their rightful entitlements.
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