Members of SAG-AFTRA (The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)—the guild that represents around 16,000 film and television actors, singers, journalists, and more— took a vote Monday night to authorize a strike just two days before negotiations with studios are scheduled to start. The vote comes after tensions in Hollywood rise amid the writers' strike.The WGA (Writers' Guild of America) went on strike around six weeks ago, resulting in the immediate halt of many film and television productions, likeMarvel Studios’Thunderboltsmovie, and a sharp downturn in Hollywood output. The guild is still on strike, and among other things, they are demanding a solid employment contract in which writers are guaranteed hiring throughout a production whether they are needed or not, an improved formula for residual payments, and the decreased usage of mini rooms— a format of writers' rooms in which studios hire fewer writers and pay them less. Members of SAG-AFTRA have previously shown support for their writer colleagues by joining them in picket lines. Another important guild, the Directors Guild of America, was also in the midst of re-negotiating their contract with studios, but they announced a tentative agreement earlier this week.RELATED:Joel McHale Reveals The Writers' Strike’s Impact On Community MovieThough the vote does not immediately trigger a strike, it does give performers strong leverage over studios, as negotiations for a new three-year contract are set to begin on Wednesday. The voting came with nearly a 98 percent approval rate, with about 65,000 members casting a ballot, representing just under half of eligible voters. Fran Drescher, the president ofSAG-AFTRA,said in a statement that the vote sends a message of “strength and solidarity.” The current contract between studios and actors expires on June 30.
The performers' demands are similar to that of writers, i.e. higher wages, increased residual payments, and protection against using their likeness and previous work, without permission, as a tool to train artificial intelligence. The actors' union seeks to improve health and pension plans and place more restrictions on self-taped auditions, a practice that explodedduring the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re obviously coming from a position of strength, but we’re not looking to strike,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, said, “but we’re also not going to accept anything less than what our members deserve.”
The vote is an aggressive move from SAG-AFTRA, as they usually resolve negotiations with studios without resorting to a strike. The last time actors went on strike was in 2000, in a dispute over commercial pay, which lasted about six months. A strike of this nature, coupled withthe simultaneous writers' strike, could have detrimental effects on Hollywood, including decreased output, increased show and film cancelations, and a significant decline in quality.
MORE:Is Quentin Tarantino’s Final Movie A Sequel To Once Upon A Time In Hollywood?
