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SAG-AFTRA Strike Action Set To Begin July 14

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SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents actors and radio personalities has officially begun strike action. The initial strike date of July 1 was postponed until July 13 to give more time to negotiate a new contract. However, the AMPTP, which represents film and television studios, did not put forward an equitable deal. The SAG-AFTRA executive board will meet later on July 13 to formally approve strike action. Picketing will begin July 14.

It’s the first time since 1986 that SAG’s actors have voted to strike. However, there was a strike by commercial actors in 2000. Furthermore, with the WGA strike ongoing, this marks a historic moment. For the first time since 1960, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA will be on strike at the same time. Fun fact about that 1960 SAG strike – it was led by then-SAG President Ronald Reagan. Reagan, who would become President of the United States in 1981, would become infamous for his anti-union sentiment. This was best seen during the 1981 Air Traffic Controllers Strike.

Hollywood Set To Shut Down

Without writers or actors, there is very little that Hollywood can do right now. Per SAG President Fran Drescher, “[AMPTP’s response] to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting & disrespectful of our contributions to this industry. The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics & on others completely stonewalled us.” Meanwhile, the AMPTP continues its war on the striking workers. Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, called the demands of the WGA and SAG “not realistic” while appearing on CNBC. For context, Iger makes a minimum of $25 million a year. The current calculation puts the demands of the WGA and SAG at a cost of around 0.02% of the revenue of the AMPTP. Iger’s comments also come after Disney, a company that made over $80 billion last year, made “cost-saving” layoffs at ESPN and National Geographic.

Furthermore, the AMPTP has been accused by striking workers of planting anti-union propaganda articles at outlets such as Deadline. While outlets such as Deadline are parroting the AMPTP talking point that studio bosses are willing to waiting the WGA out (essentially let the writers go broke and then have them beg for mercy), this is untrue. Per TV writer David Slack in the Twitter thread linked above, “What happens is they run out of product. No new shows in streaming to drive and sustain subscribers, no new shows in broadcast and ad-supported to bring in ad revenue. No shows, no money, no money, bad earnings report. Bad earnings report, bye-bye stock price. Bye-bye CEO. After 70+ days with no writers to create their product for them, the pipeline is running dry. Their stock price isn’t tanking yet. But if they don’t make a deal with us, it will. And they know it.”

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SAG-AFTRA Moves A Step Closer To Strike Action

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Much of America’s TV and film production has shut down amid the ongoing strike by the Writer’s Guild of America. The union, which represents writers in both Hollywood and TV networks, has been on strike since May 2. While the reasons for the strike are myriad, they include demands over basic pay, access to sets, residual pay, and the use of AI.

However, while studio bosses are currently holding firm in denying the demands of the WGA, they might be about to be hit with another strike. This time, it’s the actors who are potentially preparing to walk out. If the strike is called, it would absolutely devastate the bloated, top-heavy entertainment industry that has long relied on its workers not doing this.

Union Board Endorses Strike Action

SAG-AFTRA is the primary union representing actors and on-screen personalities. The union is a behemoth, ranging from film stars to newscasters. However, SAG-AFTRA has not called for a strike since 2000. In that instance, members of the union executed a six-month work stoppage between May and October. Furthermore, while many SAG members have spoken out in solidarity with the WGA strike, their own time on the picket may be imminent. Late on May 17, the SAG-AFTRA board voted unanimously in favor of endorsing strike action and encouraging union members to vote in favor of strike authorization. One of the biggest reasons for the vote was opposition to the increasing use of AI.

The vote is a bold move towards strike action for SAG-AFTRA. If authorized, a SAG-AFTRA strike at the same time as a WGA strike would effectively cripple the entertainment industry. The 2000 SAG-AFTRA strike lasted six months. The 2007-08 WGA strike lasted 14 weeks. A combined SAG-WGA strike, especially as the key summer production block and fall premiere season approaches, should be a terrifying prospect to studio executives. This is exactly the sort of thing you want to avoid if you like having a job at a major studio. It’s unclear how much support the strike authorization vote will get. However, if the support for the WGA strike from SAG members is anything to go by, then SAG-AFTRA will be hitting the picket lines very soon.

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