The actors claim to have been 'insulted and disrespected' in negotiation talks.
With the writers strike now into Day 73, it looks like they'll soon be joined on the picket lines by some of the biggest names from Hollywood and beyond.
As reported by
Deadline, after four weeks of bargaining between the Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — the group that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO - there was no deal struck between the two parties.
Following this, the National Board will vote this morning (in LA time) on whether to strike. Following this vote, an announcement will be made at 12pm PT (8pm here) on that decision.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher (yes, The Nanny herself!) had the following to say about the collapse of the talks:
"SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry. The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us.
"Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board. The board will discuss the issue this morning and will make its decision."
If the strike does go ahead, over 160,000 members of SAG - not only in Hollywood, but around the world - will stop working, essentially bringing every single movie and TV production to a halt. For some reason, the only exemption from this are actors working on soap operas. So lovers of Eastenders will have nothing to worry about...
This will represent the first time the actors have gone on strike since 1980, and it will be the first simultaneous writers and actors strike since 1960. And at that time, none other than Ronald Reagan was president of the SAG-AFTRA.
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