Hollywood in Chaos as Actors Union Prepares to Strike After Major Studios and Streaming Services “Stonewalled” Them in Contract Negotiations

SAG-AFTRA, a union that represents approximately 160,000 actors, is preparing to go on strike after their contract expired this week without a new agreement, according to a statement from the union.

The union was negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which includes major studios and streaming services such as Amazon, NBCUniversal, Disney, Apple, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher slammed AMPTP for stonewalling during negotiations, saying in a statement included in the release, “the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry.”

Drescher previously said SAG and AMPTP were having “extremely productive negotiations.” But progress stalled enough that over 1,000 actors signed a letter to the union urging the negotiating committee not to compromise on their demands, stating, “SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not.”

The letter highlighted the key issues concerning actors today, including pay and residuals in streaming, self-tapes and the growing use of artificial intelligence.

The union’s negotiating committee unanimously voted to recommend a strike in June, which the National Board will vote on today. In an interview this morning, Disney CEO Bob Iger said WGA and SAG-AFTRA had “unrealistic” expectations.

“All the challenges we’re facing, the recovery from COVID which is ongoing, it’s not completely back. This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” he said.

If a strike is authorized, the actors will be joining the 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who have been striking since early May after they also failed to reach an agreement with AMPTP. This will be the first time since 1960 that the writers and actors will been on strike at the same time.

This could halt most scripted television and movie productions planned for the coming months, possibly until the end of the year.

A recent report even claims talks with WGA could be stalled until almost October. “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses,” a studio executive recently told Deadline.

@triumphicdhq

Starting July 27 you can bid on a personalized message and signed cigar from Triumph to help support crew members affected by the wgastrike. Go to wgaragesale.org to bid on this and countless more valuable items. #wgastrong

♬ original sound – Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

Even Triumph the Insult Comic Dog shared his two cents about the ongoing Hollywood strike: “As the writer’s strike continues, let us not forget the others being made to suffer. Countless studio executives sitting alone, confined to their mansions, forced to not even pretend to work. I haven’t seen parasites suffer this much since i poked at my crap with a stick.”

A SAG-AFTRA press conference will be held today at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET after the National Board vote is completed.