Related Posts
Source: Deadline
June 30th – not merely the final day of the month, but the final day of negotiations that could decide whether or not one of the largest labor unions in all of Hollywood brings all of its work to a halt and sends its thousands of members to the streets to protest for better working conditions. Starting that day, the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), if it is unable to produce a satisfactory contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), will begin a strike that will take place throughout the nation, one in which the majority of the guild’s tens of thousands of members (just over 116,000 to be more specific) will join one another in solidarity against such major studios as Disney and Netflix and bring nearly every film and television production currently taking place to a grinding halt. Hollywood is already bearing the burden of one ongoing strike, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has remained on strike since the beginning of May, and another would surely make operation even more difficult. Unfortunately for it and every major studio, the odds of SAG-AFTRA joining WGA in the streets is all but an absolute certainty. For one thing, the union’s vote to authorize a strike should negotiations fall apart was almost unanimously positive, with just under 98% of voting members agreeing that SAG-AFTRA should go on strike. More recently however, a letter from some of the industry’s most notable actors only further encourages such action, as all these people have come together to further sway SAG-AFTRA leaders to moving forward with a strike.
On Tuesday, June 27th, it was revealed that a letter signed by over three hundred actors who claim membership with SAG-AFTRA was sent to the union’s highest-ranking leaders, one that insists that they stand their ground as they continue their talks with the AMPTP. “A strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it,” the letter claims, “but we are prepared to strike if it comes to that. And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not”. Those whose signature can be found at the end of the letter include such notable names as Kevin Bacon, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Mark Ruffalo, Patton Oswalt, Meryl Streep and Ben Stiller. Of course, this is just a small sampling of the hundreds of names attached to this letter, all of whom are adamant that SAG-AFTRA accept nothing less than a deal that will greatly benefit all of the guild’s members.
According to reports from SAG-AFTRA leadership, negotiations so far have been “extremely productive” and that one should “remain optimistic” about the prospects of a satisfactory contract being reached in the near future. Still, with the June 30th deadline just days away, most of SAG-AFTRA hesitates to share the optimism of their leaders, with this recently written letter being further proof of how determined the actors are to ensure better treatment. “This is not a moment to meet in the middle,” the letter continues, “and it’s not an exaggeration to say that the eyes of history are on all of us. We ask that you push for all the change we need and protections we deserve and make history doing it. If you are not able to get all the way there, we ask that you use the power given to you by us, the membership, and join the WGA on the picket lines. For our union and its future, this is our moment. We hope that, on our behalf, you will meet that moment and not miss it.”
Another instance of SAG-AFTRA showing almost universal solidary came on Monday, June 26th as it was announced that the union’s two main political factions announced that they’d both endorse the re-election of current SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and secretary-treasurer Joely Fisher, both of whom are running to keep their current positions and are expected to remain in place once voting takes place later this summer. While Drescher had previously achieved the union presidency on the ruling United for Strength ticket, Fisher was elected via the opposing Membership First ticket. For both parties to be so unified that they’re both willing to support each side’s re-election is a testament to how serious the matters they’re putting up with in their contention against the AMPTP truly are, and it, alongside the previously mentioned strike ratification vote that earned a 98% approval of the measure, further demonstrates how serious and determined the guild is to fight for its needs.
In the letter sent to SAG-AFTRA leadership, the actors discuss the various issues that are pushing them towards a strike and how the union has so far done a commendable job at fighting for a proper solution to these issues. “We were glad to see SAG-AFTRA lead the way among the guilds in identifying AI as a threat to our livelihoods that must be addressed right now, a ‘game changer’,” the letter reads. “We felt as though you understood how wildly our pay and our residuals have been undermined, how long we’re being held between seasons.” Although minimum and residual payments have long been a sticking point in the history of contract negotiations between the AMPTP and the various Hollywood labor unions, the rise of AI has come to be seen as something that could drastically change how the industry operates, with SAG-AFTRA and the WGA expressing concerns about its potential to replace some, if not most of, the current labor force. “Especially as regards Artificial Intelligence,” the letter continues, “we do not believe that SAG-AFTRA members can afford to make halfway gains in anticipation of that more will be coming in three years, and we think it is absolutely vital that this negotiation protects not just our likenesses, but makes sure we are well compensated when any of our work is used to train AI.”
With barely a few days left until the current contract expires, it’s more important than ever for SAG-AFTRA to stand its ground, and as this letter proves, its members are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve a better deal. “This is not a moment to meet in the middle, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that the eyes of history are on all of us,” the letter states in its concluding paragraph. “We ask that you push for all the change we need and protections we deserve and make history doing it. If you are not able to get all the way there, we ask that you use the power given to you by us, the membership, and join the WGA on the picket lines. For our union and its future, this is our moment. We hope that, on our behalf, you will meet that moment and not miss it.
