Hollywood actors union leaders voted Thursday to join a screenwriters’ strike, shutting down production across the entertainment industry.
The strike, which is the first joint strike between the two unions in more than 60 years, comes after talks for a new contract with the studios and streaming services broke down.
The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have been negotiating for months over issues such as pay, residuals, and healthcare.
The studios and streaming services have offered significant increases in pay, but the unions have said that the offers are not enough. They are also demanding more transparency from the studios about how their content is being distributed.
The strike began at 12:01 a.m. PT on Thursday. It immediately shut down production on a number of television shows and movies.
The strike is expected to have a significant impact on the entertainment industry. It could delay the release of new movies and television shows, and it could also lead to job losses.
The studios and streaming services have said that they are committed to reaching a deal with the unions, but they have also said that they will not cave to union demands.
It is unclear how long the strike will last. However, it is likely to have a significant impact on the entertainment industry in the meantime.
• The strike affects all members of SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, including actors, writers, directors, and producers.
• The strike is expected to shut down production on a wide range of television shows and movies, including some of the most popular shows on television.
• The strike could also lead to job losses for crew members and other workers in the entertainment industry.
• The studios and streaming services have said that they are prepared to weather the strike, but they have also said that they hope to reach a deal with the unions soon.
Before the talks began June 7, the 65,000 actors who cast ballots voted overwhelmingly union leaders to send them into a strike, as the Writers Guild of America did when their deal expired more than two months ago.
When the initial deadline approached in late June, more than 1,000 members of the union, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, added their names to a letter signaling to leaders their willingness to strike.
The stakes in the negotiations included both base and residual pay, which actors say has been undercut by inflation and the streaming ecosystem, benefits, and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 screen actors, broadcast journalists, announcers, hosts and stunt performers. The walkout affects only the union’s 65,000 actors from television and film productions, who voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike before talks began on June 7.
The 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since their own talks collapsed and their contract expired on May 2. The stoppage has showed no signs of a solution, with no negotiations even planned.
MacDailyNews Take: You know those myriad series you passed by the first time around? Now’s the time.
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.