The union that represents more than 160,000 film, radio and television actors and presenters in Hollywood has decided to strike if it does not reach a new agreement with the studios by June 30.
The decision was ratified Monday evening with 98% of approximately 65,000 votes and the Negotiations will begin on Wednesday between the SAG-AFTRA union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes the studios of Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony.
The actors’ claims are similar to those of the screenwriters, who entered the sixth week of the strike after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union failed to reach a compensation deal with film and television producers.
The actors, many of whom have supported the screenwriters in their battle with the big studios, are also calling for improvements in working conditions and wages, which they say are out of step with inflation and the growing role of entertainment platforms. stream.
In addition, the actors expressed concern about the use of images generated by artificial intelligence and the management of voice and image rights.
The last time Hollywood actors went on strike was in the year 2000.
The writers’ strike has already led to the shutdown of productions such as ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘The Last of Us’
As for the screenwriters, the last strike the union staged was in 2007 and lasted more than a month, resulting in a loss of $2.1 billion (1.91 billion euros) for the North American audiovisual industry americana and the dismissal of 37,000 professionals.
The WGA is demanding about $600 million (546.2 million euros) in salary increases and other benefits for the screenwriters, such as the compensation that a member of the team receives when the product is broadcast again on television, which the organization says will be reduced by the ‘streaming’ platforms.
The strike was called after talks broke down between the union representing 11,500 screenwriters and the AMPTP.
The WGA calls for wage increases of 5% and 6%, more writers for each production, a minimum of 10 weeks of employment per year, restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in script writing, and a renegotiation of residual payments on “streaming.”
The union calculated that this package will increase annual benefits by 429 million dollars (389 million euros). The studios’ counter-proposal is worth just $86 million (€78 million).
The effects of the writers’ strike were already being felt in the industry, forcing production of series such as “Stranger Things”, “Cobra Kai” or “The Last of Us” to be suspended.
A possible actor’s strike could further complicate the development of new productions in Hollywood.
Source: DN
