Hollywood actors poised to strike, join writers on picket lines
Negotiators for Hollywood's actor's union unanimously recommended a strike after talks with studios broke down, setting the stage for performers to join writers on picket lines and disrupt scores of shows and movies.
Hollywood actors will go on strike at midnight, joining film and television writers who have been on picket lines since May.
Hollywood studios are facing their first dual work stoppage in 63 years and be forced to shut down productions across the United States.
Both SAG-AFTRA — Hollywood's largest union, with 160,000 members — and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are demanding increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming TV era plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).
Fran Drescher, former star of "The Nanny" and the president of SAG-AFTRA, said studios' responses to the actors' concerns had been "insulting and disrespectful."
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which negotiates on behalf of Netflix Inc NFLX.O, Walt Disney Co DIS.N and other companies, said it was "deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations."
The group said it had offered "historic pay and residual increases" and "a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors' digital likenesses." Actors are worried that their digital images will be used without their permission or proper compensation.
"Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods," the AMPTP said.
The strike by roughly 11,500 writers has sent late-night television talk shows into endless reruns, disrupted most production for the fall TV season and halted work on big-budget movies.
A walkout by SAG-AFTRA would shut down the studios' remaining US-based productions and put more pressure on media companies to find a resolution.
Hollywood has not faced two strikes at once since 1960 when members of the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild both walked off the job in a fight over residuals from films sold to TV networks.
Broadcast networks have already announced fall schedules heavy with reality shows, which are not affected by the current labour tensions. Independent productions not covered by union contracts also can continue.
