The Hollywood Actors Guild will go on strike if it does not get a new contract with studios

There is increasing tension in the entertainment industry. This May 5th, Variety reported that members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted to approve a strike authorization, maximizing the union’s seriousness and influence ahead of negotiations with the studios to begin. Wednesday of this week.

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According to the report, this Monday night the Union announced that the strike authorization was supported by 97.91% of the total voting members, with a participation of 47.69%. The SAG-AFTRA vote comes as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike enters its sixth week. While SAG-AFTRA is only just in the process of a possible strike, quite a few members of the Actors Guild have already joined WGA members in their protest, which kicked off in early May. According to Varietythe leaders of both unions have repeatedly expressed their support for each other so far in 2023.

The Writers Guild of America went on strike on Tuesday, May 2, after failed negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major studios such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Sony , Netflix, Paramount, Apple, NBC, Universal and Amazon. Fearlessly, the writers traded their writing tools for strike signs and took to the streets to demand fair working conditions.

While this move is delaying the development of countless film and television productions, the WGA won’t stop until the studios hear its pleas. Should SAG-AFTRA also go on strike, any remaining film and television production will be halted immediately.

According to what was reported by Varietyamong the requests of SAG-AFTRA is the restriction on the use of artificial intelligence, higher “residuals” (payments that team members receive when their project is broadcast to the public through some streaming medium) and limitations on self-recorded auditions.

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The president of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Drescher, said in a statement issued after the vote that it sends a message of “strength and solidarity” to his fellow writers in the industry. In addition, Duncan Crabtree – Irelandthe union’s executive director, said the strike authorization vote indicates “it is time for an evolution in this contract.”

SAG-AFTRA is a labor union that represents more than 160,000 actors, actresses, broadcasters, voice artists, journalists, dancers, and other media professionals in the United States. The organization was formed in 2012 through the merger of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). SAG-AFTRA works to protect the rights and interests of its members, negotiate labor agreements, establish fair labor standards, and promote equal opportunity in the entertainment industry.

The union is dedicated to ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, health insurance, and other benefits for its members. It is also in charge of regulating labor relations between actors and employers in the entertainment industry, such as movie studios, television networks, radio stations, and streaming platforms. SAG-AFTRA plays an important role in promoting the rights of artists and upholding quality standards in the entertainment industry in the United States.

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