Two of Hollywood’s Largest Labor Unions Are Now On Strike After SAG-AFTRA, Which Represents 160,000 Entertainment Industry Workers, Failed To Reach A New Contract Agreement With The AMPTP

Back in May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike for the first time since 2007 after failing to reach an agreement with The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) over key issues such as the transition to streaming platforms, shorter television seasons, and lack of consistent work.
Now, following weeks of unfruitful negotiations between AMPTP and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the union– which represents approximately 160,000 entertainment industry workers– will also go on strike tonight at 12:00 a.m.
According to SAG-AFTRA president Fan Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the decision to go on strike was unanimously voted on by the union’s national board after AMPTP refused “to offer a fair deal on key issues essential to protecting the livelihoods of working actors and performers.”
Crabtree-Ireland claimed that SAG-AFTRA– which represents thousands of broadcasters, actors, and various other kinds of performers– had relentlessly tried to find a workable solution for both the union and the AMPTP.
However, AMPTP reportedly did not do the same and refused to draft a contract that compensated performers fairly– particularly in the face of looming financial threats as entertainment shifts to streaming platforms.
“Residual income and high inflation have further reduced our members’ ability to make ends meet. To complicate matters further, actors now face an existential threat to their livelihoods with the rise of generative AI technology,” Crabtree-Ireland stated.
“We’ve proposed contract changes that address these issues, but the AMPTP has been uninterested in our proposals.”
SAG-AFTRA president Fan Drescher agreed with this statement; however, she more pointedly condemned the studios represented by the AMPTP– claiming they “plead poverty; that they are losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs.”
Drescher also revealed that she went into the negotiations genuinely believing that a strike could be avoided. Yet, the negotiation process with AMPTP dampened her optimism. And the current move for a strike echoes how laborers around the world– not just in Hollywood– are now fighting for fairer treatment.

Justin – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
“The gravity of this move is not lost on me or our negotiating committee or our board members who have voted unanimously to proceed with a strike,” Drescher stated.
“It’s a very serious thing that impacts thousands, if not millions, of people all across this country and around the world.”
The AMPTP has since issued its own statement, detailing how studios are unable to operate “without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life” while blaming the union for the impending strike.
“The union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry,” the AMPTP said.
Drescher maintains that the studio association would not “meaningfully engage” when it came to negotiating certain topics. And when it came to discussing other pain points for entertainment workers, she stated that the AMPTP “stonewalled” the union.
“Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal,” she said.
But, in a statement, the AMPTP condemned these accusations and blamed the union for not acting in the workers’ best interest by walking away from negotiations.
“In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more,” the AMPTP said.
“Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.”
Nonetheless, the back-and-forth between SAF-AFTRA and the AMPTP has been occurring since the beginning of June. And despite SAG-AFTRA consistently demanding a new contract, the studio association would not budge– asking the union to trust them as they created “a solid pathway.”
This just was not good enough, and the contract negotiation deadline was extended earlier this summer, with SAG-AFTRA reassuring its members that the union was working hard to reach a new deal.
But, the AMPTP called for federally assisted mediation. And while SAG-AFTRA agreed to that, the union also berated the studio association for attempting to land another deadline extension.
“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 union said.
As for how long the strike will last, the AMPTP reportedly plans to prolong it until “union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses.”
Yet, a parallel notion– that entertainers could be forced out of their industry while profits are sequestered for a select group– is exactly why the union decided to go on strike in the first place.
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