LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Hollywood’s actors are ready to strike.
On Monday night, members of SAG-AFTRA voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers stall. It comes as the union is set to begin negotiations with AMPTP on Wednesday.
The union, which represents over 160,000 entertainment and media professionals, said members voted 97.91% in favor of authorizing a strike.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called the authorization an achievement.
"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,” she said.
The union’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said the vote makes its clear “that it’s time for an evolution in this contract.”
“As we enter what may be one of the most consequential negotiations in the union’s history, inflation, dwindling residuals due to streaming, and generative AI all threaten actors’ ability to earn a livelihood if our contracts are not adapted to reflect the new realities,” he said.
The guild pointed to streaming residuals, self-tapes, inflation, and the unregulated use of artificial intelligence as reasons why “earning a living as a professional performer has become increasingly difficult.”
Cynthia Littleton, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, told KNX News a strike by the actors could make Hollywood “literally grind to a halt.”
“The sense is that if SAG goes out, it will add weeks if not months to this overall industry shuttering that we're experiencing,” she said.
SAG-AFTRA’s current agreement expires on June 30.
The last time the union went on strike was in 1980.
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