Film and television production in Hollywood faces a major setback as thousands of Hollywood actors are gearing up to go on strike. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced at a news conference that its national board voted unanimously to initiate the strike after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract with a trade group representing leading studios in the industry.
The picket lines will commence on Friday, marking the first work stoppage by film and television performers since 1980. At that time, former SAG president Ronald Reagan was campaigning for the presidency, and the popular series “Dallas” dominated U.S. television.
Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, expressed solidarity with laborers across various industries, stating, “What’s happening to us is happening across all fields of labor. When employers prioritize Wall Street and greed over the essential contributors who make the machine run, this is the result.”
The previous contract expired on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. PT.
SAG-AFTRA members are concerned about the economic challenges posed by the streaming era and the proliferation of unregulated digital technologies. They are demanding higher base compensation and safeguards regarding the use of artificial intelligence, among other issues. Writers in Hollywood are already on strike for similar reasons.
In a press release issued on Thursday, SAG-AFTRA stated that after over four weeks of negotiations, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major companies like Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery, “remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential” to the union’s members.
The AMPTP, in response, expressed disappointment with the strike, emphasizing the industry’s reliance on performers to bring TV shows and films to life. The group highlighted their offer, which included historic pay and residual increases, improved caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, and a groundbreaking proposal to protect actors’ digital likenesses using AI.
The strike will specifically impact film and television productions and will not involve SAG-AFTRA members in the news industry, such as certain broadcast hosts and announcers.
This announcement follows the Writers Guild of America’s strike, which began over two months ago due to a separate dispute with the AMPTP. The writers’ walkout led to the suspension of most television production, delays in filming major movies, and the airing of reruns on late-night talk shows. The actors’ strike is expected to force more sets to shut down. This is the first time since 1960 that both unions have been on strike simultaneously.
SAG-AFTRA members overwhelmingly authorized the strike on June 5, with 97.91% of nearly 65,000 voters supporting the action. Negotiations with top studios and streaming services began two days later.
The previous contract between SAG-AFTRA and major studios officially expired on June 30 but was extended until midnight on July 12 to allow for continued negotiations.
SAG-AFTRA argues that performers have been adversely affected by the changing landscape of streaming entertainment and the rise of emerging technologies. The union seeks increased base compensation to counter the decline resulting from streaming-first studios shifting away from residuals and the impact of inflation on the economy.
The actors’ concerns also extend to the use of AI for digital replacements of recognizable stars and the financial burden imposed by self-taped auditions, which were previously covered by casting departments and production offices.
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Although there were concerns about all three major Hollywood guilds—SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and DGA—going on strike simultaneously, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) announced in early June that it had reached a “truly historic” tentative agreement with the studios, averting a potential walkout.
