Studios Play Hardball While SAG-AFTRA Refuses to Negotiate

The realities of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) began to settle in for strikers on Friday, as the the one week SAG-AFTRA strike mark hit with more actors worrying about how long the strike will end.

While the WGA has been on strike since early May, SAG-AFTRA opted to take a nearly two-week extension at the end of June to try to work things out, only for talks to break down. Both unions have demanded, among other things, better pay, a way for streaming services to be factored into residuals, the usage of artificial intelligence in the industry, and having a new minimum number of writers on a show or movie. The strike, which is the first for the WGA since 2007-2008, the first SAG/SAG-AFTRA strike since 2000, and the first combined strike since 1960, has already faced considerable heat from the press.

Accusations of both sides of not acting in good faith, the WGA and the actors union not willing to concede on any issues, and SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher being in Italy while crucial negotiations were held in LA have all clouded over the strike. Since the strike began last Friday, questions over just how long the strike can go on has remained the ultimate question. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, streaming services and producers, has put down an October deadline before the majority of actors and writers savings begin to run dry. Drescher, meanwhile has said that that the union has looked at a strike lasting for up to six months, meaning that it could last until the end of the year.

The longest strike in Hollywood history, the 1942-1944 musicians strike, lasted for over 13 months. In more recent years, strikes have generally lasted for a few months, with the 2000 commercial actors strike being the longest, lasting around six months.

Despite being only a week in, the 2023 strike has already taken some unusual turns. While previous strikes largely remained civil, many on the picket line against the studios have already resorted to name calling, with some calling the studios “silly little toddlers” and others outright threatening them. Meanwhile, studios have remained stoic, and have resolved to settle matters through arbitration and not comment on the strike unless it is absolutely necessary. According to a press release on Friday, the union has offered up a compromise deal, hitting all the points that the actors wanted dealt with, including residuals and AI usage.

“The deal that AMPTP has offered SAG-AFTRA represents more than $1 billion in wage increases, pension & health contributions and residual increases and includes first-of-their-kind protections over its three-year term, including expressly with respect to AI,” said the AMPTP on Friday. “SAG-AFTRA continues to publicly mischaracterize AMPTP’s AI proposal. The Union has distorted the facts in an effort to garner support for its work stoppage, but the facts need to be corrected.”

The strikes continue in LA

Experts told the Globe on Friday, however, that that is likely not enough.

“SAG-AFTRA wants AI not even in the picture and better residuals to help people live off of between jobs,” explained Theresa Stevenson, an arbitrator in Michigan who has helped settled union disputes and strikes in the past, to the Globe on Friday. “So this is a no-go. The studios really can’t give up much more than that either. A lot of this is about future protections, and if you give a lot now, it will be really hard to rein that in during leaner times. Streaming services are also struggling, and really are hesitant for a lot of concessions to survive.

“The crazy thing is that Tom Cruise, of all people, has been the voice of reason in all this. During meetings with both sides, he wanted the studios to work on limiting AI usage and helping stunt workers out. Then he asked SAG-AFTRA to not be so strict, to let people promote and work on movies to help protect theatrical movies, which haven’t been doing great lately. We live in that world now.

“And yeah, California is getting hit by it too. Each day means productions aren’t going. That’s less business in and around the LA area, less taxes coming, and overall the economy hurting more. Other states too, but mainly California.

“SAG-AFTRA and the WGA may have support now and think they can outlast, but the AMPTP has already made the next move. There’s a lot of people stuck just wanting the next job or needing that next paycheck too. The ball is in their court, but right now, they’d rather be out there in 90 plus temperatures. It’s crazy.”

The strike is expected to continue into next week, with no negotiations currently set.