SAG-AFTRA Actors Expected to Strike After Contract Negotiations Break Down

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) is calling for a strike.

According to ET, the union – which represents 160,000 television and movie actors – called for a strike on Thursday morning (July 13) after contract negotiations broke down.

Keep reading to find out more…

SAG-AFTRA’s president Fran Drescher released a statement about the situation, sharing that the union plans to call a meeting Thursday with the National Board to vote on a strike order. The negotiating committee unanimously voted to recommend a strike after contracts expired on July 12 at midnight.

SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) began negotiations on June 7 and they were extended until June 30. Fran called the AMPTP’s response to the union’s demands “insulting and disrespectful.”

If the strike order passes, the actors will be joining the screenwriter’s ongoing strike, which began 70 days ago. It will mark the first time that actors and screenwriters have been on strike at the same time since 1960.

Fran‘s statement noted that actors’ compensation “has been severely eroded by the rise of the streaming ecosystem” and added that the union is fighting for contract language that would protect actors from from “having their identity and talent exploited without consent and pay” due to the advances in artificial intelligence.

AMPTP responded with a statement of their own. “We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations,” they said. “This is the union’s choice, not ours.”

Last month, more than 300 members of SAG-AFTRA threatened to strike if an agreement was not reached. Several celebrities signed the letter and you can find out who here.