SAG-AFTRA Contract Expires; Negotiating Committee Urges Strike
UPDATE: It's official SAG-AFTRA voted to strike.
In a live-streamed press conference today, SAG-AFTRA confirmed what we all suspected would happen : the actors are walking out . After negotiations between the actor s’ guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to produce an acceptable successor contract , SAG-AFTRA allowed its contract to expire Wednesday at midnight.
https://gizmodo.com/actors-go-on-strike-sag-aftra-union-negotiations-amptp-1850636705
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Linda Codega
Image : Mario Tama / Staff ( Getty Images )
At 11:59 PM PT on June 12, the SAG-AFTRA contract expired. After nearly four weeks of negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee agreed that they had not yet reached a satisfying successor contract, and did not allow for a second extension.
So. Here we are. Standing on the precipice of a two-pronged strike as two of the strongest, largest, most visible unions in Hollywood decide they would rather risk their livelihoods than suffer the indignity of a shit contract. The last time that SAG-AFTRA struck against the AMPTP was in 1986. The strike lasted 14 hours. Somehow, I doubt this strike will be as abbreviated. There's more money involved, after all.
The last time that the WGA and SAG struck against the AMPTP at the same time was in 1960, when their strikes overlapped for the six-week duration of the SAG strike. (SAG and AFTRA had not yet merged.) With the last major combined labor action between writers and actors occurring nearly 60 years ago, this seems like an inflection point for the Film industry at large.
Right now, SAG-AFTRA has not called a strike—the negotiation committe has suggested that there should be one, and the SAG-AFTRA National Board will be voting Thursday morning—today—to determine whether or not to strike. But with the nearly 98% strike approval from voting membership... it seems clear what the mandate is from the rank and file.
From the SAG-AFTRA press release, President Fran Drescher offered a statement, "SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP's responses to the union's most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry. The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board. The board will discuss the issue this morning and will make its decision."
Additionally, the National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in the press release, "The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry's business model, while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber. That's not how you treat a valued, respected partner and essential contributor. Their refusal to meaningfully engage with our key proposals and the fundamental disrespect shown to our members is what has brought us to this point. The studios and streamers have underestimated our members' resolve, as they are about to fully discover."
SAG-AFTRA will hold a press release at 12:00 PM on July 13 to announce the result of the strike vote.
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I expect a strike.
I saw Matt Damon interviewed this morning saying “we need to ensure that we’re paid what we are worth”. I wasn’t aware Damon is hurting for money. Maybe they need a more realistic spokesperson if they want to be taken seriously.
I dont think Damon is a spokesperson. I think he was asked a question by a reporter at the Oppenheimer premiere.
Fran Drescher is the leader of SAG. I saw her in a clip this morning saying that digital and streaming profits are not being shared with the actors. I think they all know it is the lower level actors that are primarily affected by this.
Actors and writers are a dime a dozen. Like professional athletes, they are only worth what someone is willing to pay them.
That is a really weird take. Why are professional athletes worth more than any other person with a skill? Everyone, including, professional athletes and top tier corporate CEOs are only worth what someone else is willing to pay them. No exceptions...
I don't know Damon's role in the Union. Drescher is the union president. And of course people like Damon shouldn't be hurting for cash, but many others are. Mostly streaming content actors who aren't big names. There are no residuals nor back end percentages for streaming and AI raises the possibility of unpaid likeness usages. Technologies have evolved and that fallout is still in flux.
I’m not against the strike, I just thought it wasn’t the best move to be interviewing a filthy rich actor about it, and for him to be including himself in the plight with his statement. I highly doubt Matt Damon has ever been paid less than what his performance was worth.
The idiots with a microphone will get any soundbite for a click. Matt Damon has his own production company, Artists Equity, if that makes any difference to the conversation. As far as I can tell they are not part of AMPTP though.
FYI - I'm listening to a live stream right now and the person holding it put it this way... The studios heads would lose no sleep if a studio actor goes on strike and never works again, but if Matt Damon or Jennifer Lawrence or Keanu Reeves goes on strike everyone will notice. Everyone will start to care and if it goes on too long studios will lose money. No one is going to the theaters to watch The Floor Is Lava season 3.
One of the deals the studios were touting as a landmark deal was to offer extras one day's pay ($183.00) to come in, get scanned and the studios can use the scanned images for free in perpetuity...
Watch out for the Entertainment Industrial Complex ….