Why are the actors striking? (The SAG strike explained)

It looks like the film and television industry is at a stand-still as the labor union representing actors in Hollywood, SAG-AFTRA, has called a strike. The announcement of the SAG strike happened after both The Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) and the Directors’ Guild of America (DGA) other unions had their negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The DGA was able to come to an agreement with the AMPTP while the WGA has issued members to go out to picket since calling a strike in May.

With all of this news, it might be hard to truly understand what’s going on in Hollywood. That’s why Hidden Remote is here to give you an overview on why SAG-AFTRA is striking. Read on to find out more.

Why are the actors striking? (The SAG strike explained)

A strike occurs when there is unfair labor practices happening , or one that would cause an employer to commit an unfair labor practice. In their current minimum basic agreement (MBA), actors are supposed to receive residuals when their work is re-used beyond its initial performance, such as when a movie or show is re-aired or re-released on DVD or basic cable (think syndicated shows) but with the current MBA in place, actors are compensated at a much lower rate for productions that go to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Max, for example.

Their pay is calculated differently. This, coupled with the growing concern over the use of artificial intelligence (AI), in which the conversation was primarily geared towards concerned writers and artists, is now turning to how it’ll impact actors.

According to Deadline, AI could be used to replicate an actor’s likeness without compensation. The ploy has been compared to the Black Mirror episode “Joan Is Awful.” which deals with a AI-based storyline involving a woman getting her identity monetized without her permission.

Backstage has provided a summarized list of the issues the union want addressed:

"According to a statement from the union, “We need a contract that will increase contributions to our benefit plans and protect members from erosion of income due to inflation and reduced residuals, unregulated use of generative AI, and demanding self-taped auditions.” Issues on the table include:Money: SAG wants the AMPTP to provide better compensation and benefits for its members.Residuals: Current residual payments don’t reflect the value of member contributions. According to the union, they “undercut by inflation and by a streaming ecosystem through which producers pay less residual income than traditional exhibition models.”Generative AI: The union is requesting that the AMPTP provide protections for members against misuse of artificial intelligence, as well as a definition of acceptable use of the technology.Self-tapes: Without regulation regarding self-taped auditions, SAG alleges that performers currently face an unfairly arduous casting process. “The shift to burdensome and unreasonably demanding self-taped auditions means that our members are working harder than ever, forced to take on audition costs that have always been the responsibility of casting and production,” the union’s statement reads."

With no agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP, the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend a strike to the union’s national board. This is the first time SAG-AFTRA actors have initiated a labor dispute since the 1980s. While most actors are publicly supporting the strike, there are usually are a few outliers.

The most prominent way that a union actor can go against their union and be considered a “scab” is by accepting employment and subsequently appearing in SAG-AFTRA-affiliated productions. This has happened in the past when commercial actors went on strike in 2000. Since there is a strike happening, productions will have to come to a halt as well, which means pushed back release schedules and no press activity that is associated with the studios.

What productions are affected by the SAG strike?

Here is a list of some of the film and television productions that are being affected by the strike:

• The Amateur
• Avatar 3
• Avatar 4
• Juror No. 2
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two
• Mortal Kombat 2
• Twisters
• Untitled Venom: Let There Be Carnage sequel

According to a transcript issued by CNN, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher spoke at a press conference and negatively described the negotiations with the AMPTP saying “We had no choice” and questioned the studios’ union by proclaiming, “What are we doing? Moving around furniture on the Titanic? It’s crazy.”

If you want to see the full press conference, you can watch playback of the livestream that occurred on Associated Press’ official YouTube channel:

What are your thoughts on the double-strike? Keep up to date with Hidden Remote for more film and television news and coverage.