At 11:59 PM PT on June 12, the SAG-AFTRA contract expired. After practically 4 weeks of negotiating with the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers (AMPTP), the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee agreed that that they had not but reached a satisfying successor contract, and didn’t enable for a second extension.
So. Right here we’re. Standing on the precipice of a two-pronged strike as two of the strongest, largest, most seen unions in Hollywood resolve they’d relatively threat their livelihoods than undergo the indignity of a shit contract. The final time that SAG-AFTRA struck in opposition to the AMPTP was in 1986. The strike lasted 14 hours. By some means, I doubt this strike might be as abbreviated. There’s extra money concerned, in spite of everything.
The final time that the WGA and SAG struck in opposition to the AMPTP on the similar time was in 1960, when their strikes overlapped for the six-week period of the SAG strike. (SAG and AFTRA had not but merged.) With the final main mixed labor motion between writers and actors occurring practically 60 years in the past, this looks like an inflection level for the Movie trade at massive.
Proper now, SAG-AFTRA has not referred to as a strike—the negotiation committe has prompt that there needs to be one, and the SAG-AFTRA Nationwide Board might be voting Thursday morning—in the present day—to find out whether or not or to not strike. However with the practically 98% strike approval from voting membership… it appears clear what the mandate is from the rank and file.
From the SAG-AFTRA press launch, President Fran Drescher provided an announcement, “SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good religion and was keen to succeed in a deal that sufficiently addressed performer wants, however the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most vital proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our large contributions to this trade. The businesses have refused to meaningfully interact on some matters and on others utterly stonewalled us. Till they do negotiate in good religion, we can’t start to succeed in a deal. We’ve got no alternative however to maneuver ahead in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike suggestion to our Nationwide Board. The board will talk about the problem this morning and can make its choice.”
Moreover, the Nationwide Govt Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Eire mentioned within the press launch, “The studios and streamers have applied large unilateral modifications in our trade’s enterprise mannequin, whereas on the similar time insisting on preserving our contracts frozen in amber. That’s not the way you deal with a valued, revered accomplice and important contributor. Their refusal to meaningfully interact with our key proposals and the elemental disrespect proven to our members is what has introduced us up to now. The studios and streamers have underestimated our members’ resolve, as they’re about to completely uncover.”
SAG-AFTRA will maintain a press launch at 12:00 PM on July 13 to announce the results of the strike vote.
Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to count on the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on movie and TV, and all the things you could find out about the way forward for Physician Who.
