SAG-AFTRA Members Approve Strike Authorization

An overwhelming 98% margin voted Yes.

Actors from SAG-AFTRA have made it clear that they won’t shy away from a strike if an agreement with studios over a new contract isn’t reached by June 30. An overwhelming 98% margin of members approved the vote, signaling the seriousness of their stance.

“This strike authorization means we enter our negotiations from a position of strength,” Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator, said in a statement.

The vote comes as writers enter their sixth week of a strike that has already destabilized the film and TV industry. Many SAG actors have been marching alongside writers, and an actors strike could further disrupt production activity. On the other side, DGA, the Directors Guild of America, just signed a deal to avoid a walkout.

Actors, like writers, raise concerns about their diminished pay due to inflation and the transition to streaming platforms that offer minimal residual fees for aired shows. They also question the use of their voices and images in the absence of regulations and the role of artificial intelligence in their industry. These issues call for urgent attention and action.

Source: Los Angeles Times