SAG-AFTRA is officially on strike
The actors are mad as hell and they're not gonna take it anymore.
On Thursday, the day after nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards were announced, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) officially declared a strike, effective just after midnight on Friday, July 14. The actors' union represents around 160,000 performers, including film and television actors, worldwide.
SAG-AFTRA's national board voted unanimously to launch the guild's first strike, the union's President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland announced during a press conference on Thursday afternoon. SAG membership previously voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike with nearly 98 percent of voting members authorizing one if called.
"It came with great sadness that we came to this crossroads. But we had no choice. We are the victims here," Drescher said. "We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us. I cannot believe it, quite frankly. How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they're losing money left and right while giving hundreds and millions of dollars to their CEOS. It is disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment."
She continued: "We stand in solidarity in unprecedented unity. Our union and our sister unions and the unions around the world are standing by us as well as other labor unions. Because at some point, the jig is up. You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored. The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. This is a moment of history that is a moment of truth. If we don't stand tall right now, we are going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business, who cares more about wall street than you and your family."
After failing to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) when their June 30 contract deadline expired, the union extended the negotiation period through July 12, but they were still unable to negotiate a contract that was agreeable to both parties. Their sister union, the Writers' Guild of America, has been on strike since May 1 and actors have already been a stalwart presence on picket lines. Now, they'll join their formal creatives more officially.
Chris Pizzello/AP Photo Fran Drescher, left, president of SAG-AFTRA, and Meredith Stiehm, president of Writers Guild of America West, during a rally by striking writers on May 8, 2023
Even with the extended deadline, experts predicted it would come to a strike. Particularly after more than 1,000 actors, including the likes of Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Pedro Pascal, and Joaquin Phoenix, signed a letter urging no compromise in their asks of AMPTP.
During the strike, actors are not allowed to participate in any production covered by the AMPTP TV/Theatrical Contracts. This means no on-camera work for film and TV, but also no ADR to replace dialogue, narration for trailers, or voice acting. Actors are also prohibited from doing background work, any promotion for projects made under the contract (including interviews, red carpets, promotional social media, premieres, and fan conventions), and any pre-production work, including auditions, wardrobe fittings, camera tests, and more.
This strike marks a historic milestone in Hollywood labor movements. It is the first time since 1960 that both the WGA and SAG have been on strike concurrently. That fight was largely over residuals from movies that played on television and was largely responsible for creating residuals as a concept. The 1960 strike secured those residuals for actors, writers, directors, and even some crew members. The strike also won the WGA and SAG new health insurance and pension plans.
This time, streaming residuals are a source of conflict, but so are other issues including the looming specter of AI and its uses in film and television.
The hope is that with both unions on strike together it will put pressure on the AMPTP to return to the negotiating deal and make compromises that will get Hollywood up and running again.
Read EW's detailed explanation of the strike for more on how this might impact your favorite movies and television shows, how long it could last, and other strike-related queries.
Additional reporting by Devan Coggan.
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