On Thursday, the Screen Actors Guild — American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in bringing Hollywood productions to a screeching halt — their first dual strike since 1960.
On the other side of the stoppage, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said a strike “is certainly not the outcome we hoped for.” The studio-side representative blamed the unions for what it projected as upcoming “financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”
Shortly after the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced, actors, writers, production teams and allied union organizations took to the streets to make their demands and increase visibility for what they say are shortcomings exacerbated by a culture of underpay and marginalization of writers and actors.
How are strikers encouraging audiences to get involved?
SAG-AFTRA and WGA members have used social media to spread information about the strike, detailing how viewers can support entertainment workers’ demands for higher minimum pay, improved safety and more streaming residuals. Among their recommendations for aiding the strike efforts are sharing, liking and commenting on posts about the recently expired SAG-AFTRA contract because “actors are working people just like everyone else.”
“There’s a lot of misconception that our union is about stars and celebrities,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator.
Most of the guild’s 160,000 members, he said, are “working actors who are trying to make a living, pay their bills, pay their rent.”
Actors and writers are encouraging fans to join the picket line in their local area to increase strike visibility. They say people can bring signs, water and snacks to picketers. Union-allied organizations such as the Directors Guild of America, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States have thrown their support behind the strike effort in person and online, joining a broader coalition of unions pushing against mistreatment in the workplace.
Crabtree-Ireland said strike supporters could aid the effort by amplifying the union’s demands with social media posts and donations to fundraisers for SAG-AFTRA members. Boycotting projects made by the AMPTP is not the priority, he added.
“We’re not at this time calling for a boycott of anybody. Our focus is on shutting down production. … But that’s not to say that that won’t be something we do in the future,” he said.
WGA nor SAG have asked for a boycott of the streamers. So that’s not union guidelines but you do you. But you can donate to the entertainment fund. Or water to the picket lines, it’s getting real hot outside. Or food. https://t.co/eL1etvdE1W
— Caroline “WGA Captain on Strike” Renard (@carolinerenard_) July 16, 2023
How can entertainment workers receive financial support during the strike?
Several organizations have committed to supporting members of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA. Some of the most prominent funds are SAG-AFTRA’s Entertainment Community Fund and nonaffiliated crowdsourced fundraisers like the Union Solidarity Coalition Fund, Groceries for Writers and the Snacklist.
The fundraisers say they provide resources that include mental health support, health insurance, counseling, career resources, budgeting tips and grocery aid.
What is the response of the AMPTP?
After SAG-AFTRA announced its intention to strike, aligning with the ongoing WGA walkout, the AMPTP released a statement detailing its disappointment in the organization’s decision to walk away from negotiations.
“AMPTP member companies entered the negotiations with SAG-AFTRA with the goal of forging a new, mutually beneficial contract,” AMPTP wrote in a statement after the strike announcement. “A strike is certainly not the outcome we hoped for as studios cannot operate without the performers that bring our TV shows and films to life. The Union has regrettably chosen a path that will lead to financial hardship for countless thousands of people who depend on the industry.”
Though AMPTP indicated that its newest contract increases benefits for SAG members, stars including Matt Damon, Quinta Brunson, Meryl Streep, Lena Waithe and Julia Louis-Dreyfus say the strike is a critical step toward equity for the lowest-paid workers in the industry.
AMPTP said it offered pay and residual increases, improved retirement plans and health care benefits, audition protections and a “groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses.”
According to Crabtree-Ireland, members of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are concerned that AI provisions will put more people out of work. One aspect of the proposal offered background performers the ability to work for one day, be digitally scanned by the production company and have their likeness used in any future project. Members noted that the proposal offered no additional consent or compensation for the AI replica’s usage. “If that’s their idea of historic, I think they’ve got a real problem,” Crabtree-Ireland said.
“Our goal remains achieving mutually beneficial deals that will get our industry back to work and to continue to deliver entertainment to fans around the world,” said Scott Rowe, a spokesperson for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.