On June 5, the members of Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) authorized a potential strike with 97.91% of voting members voting in favor. Out of a union of 160,000 actors, singers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, stunt performers and voiceover artists, nearly 65,000 voted. The results of the vote means that if the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) refuses to honor SAG-AFTRA members’ demands for a better workplace before the current contract expires on June 30, members can use the most powerful tool in their arsenal—the strike.
An actors’ strike could shut down the entertainment industry in the US as Hollywood writers have been striking since early May. Some are even warning of a triple strike as the Director’s Guild of America is also in negotiations with the AMPTP, however, the DGA just reached a tentative agreement with the studios.
“Our future is at stake! Streaming, inflation, and out-of-control self-taping requests have actors working longer and harder than ever, struggling to make ends meet,” SAG-AFTRA writes. The guild is demanding better pay in proportion to inflation and the soaring profits of studios, as well as regulations regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence in the industry with the rise of deepfakes and the implications of using an AI replication of an actor against their will.
The actors’ demands are similar to those of the writers. Writers are also fighting for fairer compensation and new regulations in order to keep up with the changes in the industry.
And despite the increased profits, the industry is cutting costs by downgrading actors from series regulars to guests and reducing the amount of episodes in a given show. “That means less money, less job security, and less residuals,” writes Kayleigh Donaldson for Pajiba. “It’s destroying livelihoods.”
A strike promises to be historic. Hollywood actors have not gone on strike since 1980, when the advent of VHS was transforming the industry much like streaming is today.
“Together we lock elbows and in unity we build a new contract that honors our contributions in this remarkable industry, reflects the new digital and streaming business model and brings ALL our concerns for protections and benefits into the now,” wrote SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher regarding the announcement of the voting results. “Bravo SAG-AFTRA, we are in it to win it.”
