Negotiations between the US Actors’ Union and the Association of TV and Film Production Companies have come to a standstill. A corresponding deadline has passed without an agreement. The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) had therefore announced a vote on a possible strike for Thursday morning (local time). The result was announced at a press conference in Los Angeles.
As Deadline reports, the board of directors of SAG-AFTRA voted unanimously this morning to launch the union’s first strike against the film and television industry since the 1980s. This was announced by negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and union leader Fran Drescher (65). The strike is due to start at midnight and all major studios are said to be picketed from July 14th.
After more than four weeks of negotiations, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) is unwilling to enter into a “fair deal” on key union demands, according to SAG-AFTRA. In addition to direct remuneration for acting performance, the negotiations also included the possible future use of artificial intelligence. It is feared that data could be collected in order to breathe life into artificially created characters – for example for sequels to a film or series – without the actor or actress being paid for it.
Scores of actors, including big names, have previously supported the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which went on strike in early May. Some of them took to the streets for the striking screenwriters. It is the first time since 1960 that actors and writers have gone on strike at the same time.
SAG-AFTRA represents around 160,000 people from the entertainment industry, including actors, singers, stuntmen and voice actors.
