A growing roster of actors including Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Stiller, Charlize TheronAnd Joaquin Phoenix have written to SAG AFTRA The leadership stated that they were “ready to strike” if the guild could not reach an agreement in the negotiations.
A growing roster of actors including Jennifer Lawrence, Ben Stiller, Charlize TheronAnd Joaquin Phoenix have written to SAG AFTRA The leadership stated that they were “ready to strike” if the guild could not reach an agreement in the negotiations.
A possible extension could postpone the negotiations until next week
According to reports from meeting And diversity, a letter sent internally to the bargaining committee and leadership of the union, was originally signed by over 300 actors and has since been signed by over 1,000, including high-profile actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, Cobie Smulders, Pedro Pascal and even the current SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher in a surprising move. The full list of signatories can be found here Here.
In the letter, the group noted that it “stands ready to strike when the time comes” and that there are concerns that “SAG-AFTRA members may be willing to make sacrifices that the leadership is not making.”
The current contract signed by SAG-AFTRA members expires on Friday, but a new report from DeadlIIt is suggests considering an extension of the negotiations until July 7, 2023. In any case, if no agreement is reached by the end of the contract, the union leadership would have the power to call a strike the very next day. They seem ready to do so.
“This is not a half-way moment, and it is no exaggeration to say that history’s eyes are on us all,” the letter reads. “We ask you to champion any changes we need and all the protections we deserve, while making history.” If you don’t make it there, we ask that you help us , membership, to use the power given and join the WGA on the picket line. For our union and its future, this is our moment. We hope that you experience this moment on our behalf and do not miss it.”
News of a possible SAG-AFTRA strike comes as the Writers Guild of America continues its strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This strike began last month and is reportedly likely to continue into Christmas time. Writers are protesting and fighting for better residual remuneration, an enlargement of the author’s room and a restriction of the use of artificial intelligence in the writing process.
You can see the full text of the letter sent by SAG-AFTRA members below (via diversity):
Dear SAG-AFTRA Steering and Negotiating Committee,
Thank you for your hard work and leadership in navigating these difficult negotiations at a truly unprecedented time. As SAG-AFTRA members, over the past few months we have been impressed by how our leadership has spelled out the unique challenges of the negotiations and the need for realignment in our industry. We were glad that SAG-AFTRA was at the forefront among guilds in identifying AI as a threat to our livelihoods that needs to be addressed now, as a game changer. We felt like you understood how severely our salary and balance payments have been eroded and how long we are held between seasons. We were filled with pride to see the union come together and hold such an incredibly strong vote on strike authorization.
But solidarity requires honesty, and we must make our resolve clear. A strike brings incredible hardship for so many, and no one wants it. But we’re ready to strike when it comes down to it. And we are concerned at the notion that SAG-AFTRA members might be willing to make sacrifices that the leadership is not making. We hope you heard the message from us: this is an unprecedented turning point in our industry and what might have been considered good business in other years just isn’t enough. We feel that our wages, our craft, our creative freedom and the power of our union have been eroded over the past decade. We must reverse this trend. With inflation and continued growth in streaming, we need a major overhaul of our minimum wage and new media balances, exclusivity exclusions, and other terms. We also think it’s absolutely vital that the deal restores dignity to the casting process by regulating how selfies are used. This is a huge problem for working-class actors. And with regard to artificial intelligence in particular, we don’t think SAG-AFTRA members can afford to make any halfway profits in the expectation of more coming in three years, and we think it’s absolutely vital that these Negotiation not only protects our image, but also ensures that we are well rewarded when our work is used to train AI. We want you to know that we would rather strike than compromise on these fundamental issues, and we believe that if we settle for a non-transformative deal, and SAG-AFTRA will, the future of our union and our craft will be undermined enter the next negotiation with drastically reduced influence.
This is not a moment where we meet in half, and it is no exaggeration to say that history’s eyes are on us all. We ask that you stand up for any change we need and the protection we deserve, while making history. If you fail to make it there, we ask that you use the power we, the membership, have given you and join the WGA on the picket line. For our union and its future, this is our moment. We hope that you experience this moment on our behalf and do not miss it.