Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) workers are on the cusp of a potential strike with their contract expiring on July 12 at 11:59 p.m. Workers have been in contract negotiations with major film and television studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). SAG-AFTRA represents 160,000 actors, singers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, stunt performers and voiceover artists.
These workers are fighting for fairer pay in line with the enormous profits studios rake in each year, as well as regulations on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the entertainment industry to protect livelihoods.
In the latest update, SAG-AFTRA reported yesterday that they had agreed to AMPTP’s last-minute request for a federal mediator in negotiations.
“We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement,” the union wrote. “We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement.”
The union also slammed studios for allegedly leaking information regarding federal mediation to the press before discussing with union negotiators. “We condemn the tactic outlined in today’s inaccurate Variety piece naming the CEOs of several entertainment conglomerates as the force behind the request for mediation; information that was leaked to the press by the CEOs and their ‘anonymous sources’ before our negotiators were even told of the request for mediation,” they wrote. “The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process. We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal.”
The July 12 contract expiration date was extended from the first date on which the contract expired, June 30. The union does not appear to have any intention of extending the date again. If Hollywood actors go on strike after today, the entertainment industry would effectively shut down, as Hollywood writers organized by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been on strike since May 2. Writers are also fighting for similar demands around fair compensation in light of soaring industry profits, and regulations on AI use.
