SAG-AFTRA Strike Continues After Negotiations with Studios Break Down
Actors' union accuses studios of "bully tactics" and exaggerating the cost of their proposal, while studios say they are too far apart to make progress.
Hollywood's hopes for a prompt return to work have been dashed by the failure of negotiations between major entertainment studios and the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
The film and television industries are currently experiencing uncertainty due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which started in July when performers began to walk out. This has resulted in enormous financial losses.
The suspension of negotiations with the actors' union was recently announced in a statement by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which speaks for studios and streaming services.
A new three-year contract with the studio alliance was just approved by over 8,000 screenwriters, who joined the actors in striking.
Work was halted in July as a result of demands made by SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America members for increased benefits, greater pay, and restrictions on the usage of AI.
The AMPTP reportedly stated, "After SAG-AFTRA presented its most recent proposal on October 11, negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended," according to Deadline. After thorough discussions, it became evident that the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA are too far apart and that fruitful progress was no longer being made.
????To Our Fellow #SagAftraMembers:
It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer. (1/11) pic.twitter.com/nd2PfpDH4F — SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) October 12, 2023
On the other hand, the actors' union SAG-AFTRA said that studio executives had used "bully tactics". SAG-AFTRA accused the studios of making an offer "that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began" in a statement.
SAG-AFTRA accused the studios of purposefully exaggerating the cost of their proposal by a startling 60% in a flurry of tweets on Thursday. The union also criticized the studios' use of AI, claiming that the organizations were requesting authorization for the usage of actors' digital doppelgängers on the first day of employment for entire franchise and cinematic universe projects.
Additionally, SAG-AFTRA charged the studios with circulating false material to alienate their members and contrasted their strategies to one used in a prior conflict with the Writers Guild of America (WGA). The union insisted that its members would not be influenced by such efforts and that their solidarity remained unwavering.
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