By <a href="/profiles/tori-powell">Tori B. Powell</a>, <a href="/profiles/elise-hammond">Elise Hammond</a> and <a href="/profiles/maureen-chowdhury">Maureen Chowdhury</a>, CNN
The SAG-AFTRA building is pictured today in Los Angeles, California. Mike Blake/Reuters
There are hopes by some in the industry that since writers and actors are out at the same time, that will put pressure on the studios and streaming services to improve their offers and get everyone back to work sooner rather than later. The last time the writers and the Screen Actors Guild, the precursor of SAG-AFTRA, were on strike at the same time was 1960 — so long ago that Ronald Reagan was the SAG president leading that strike.
But everyone agrees the industry is going through unprecedented change as the ways that the public consumes shows are changing rapidly, and the economics are changing with it.
Disney CEO Bob Iger didn’t seem to suggest there will be a solution in the near term, in comments Thursday morning.
“They are adding to a set of challenges this business is already facing that is quite frankly very disruptive,” said Iger, who is set to receive more than $25 million in compensation this year, about SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild in an interview on CNBC. “You have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver.”
But the unions say their members are suffering because of the changes in the business, like the shrinking amount of broadcast residuals in the age of streaming, and they’ve been pushed to the point where they can’t accept what the studios and streaming services are offering.
“The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry’s business model, while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber,” said a statement from Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s chief negotiator, issued early Thursday morning. “The studios and streamers have underestimated our members’ resolve, as they are about to fully discover.”
So don’t expect to see the return of many of your favorite shows any time soon.
35 min ago
More than 1,000 stars signed a letter outlining issues
From CNN's Chris Isidore
Mark Ruffalo seen attending the Writers Guild of America strike outside the NBC Building on May 23 in New York City. Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
Many high-profile actors and actresses, including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Quinta Brunson and Rami Malek, among others, signed a letter urging SAG-AFTRA to take a hard line. In it, actors said they were prepared to go on strike for the contract that members need going forward.
“A strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it,” said the letter. “But we are prepared to strike if it comes to that. And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not. We hope you’ve heard the message from us. This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough.”
More than 300 actors signed the letter initially, and the signature count has now climbed to more than 1,000, according to trade publication Deadline. Among others who have signed on are Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cobie Smulders and Pedro Pascal.
The issues are some of the same as in the writers’ strike, including not only increased pay but progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. Streaming platforms have been repeatedly removing older films and episodic shows from their services. Reducing payments of residuals is the main incentive to do so.
Fran Drescher, the star of the 1990s sitcom “The Nanny” and the current president of SAG-AFTRA, has also signed the letter.
When the 11th-hour contract extension was announced, Drescher seemed to be addressing those calling for a tough line in talks when she said in an email to membership, “No one should mistake this extension for weakness. We see you. We hear you. We are you.”
But Drescher has since faced criticism on social media for attending Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda festivities in southern Italy this past weekend. The union issued a statement saying that the appearance was part of commitment to serve as a “brand ambassador,” and that she had been continuing to participate in negotiations remotely. But members took to social media to criticize the optics of her appearing there as a strike deadline loomed.
44 min ago
Actors are poised to go on strike. Here's how we got here
SAG-AFTRA members preparing picket signs last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
The current contract for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) expired at 11:59 p.m. PT Wednesday.
The union faced a previous strike deadline on July 1, only to announce an 11th-hour contract extension. But nearly two weeks that followed haven’t produced any kind of breakthrough to avoid a strike.
The final day of talks included a federal mediator, which studio management and streaming services’ executives requested late Monday. The actors union agreed but made clear that it was not willing to grant another extension and that if the final day of talks does not produce a last-minute deal, it will go on strike.
The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is negotiating on behalf of the studios, includes Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony and CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. It did not have a comment about the 11th hour request for mediation or what it hoped would be accomplished.
The union was clearly angered by the last-minute request for mediation. It said there were published reports in trade publications about the AMPTP’s desire to have mediation even before the request was made to union negotiators at the bargaining table.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is a government agency set up to try to prevent strikes by bringing two sides together. Its site says its mediators can become involved when both labor and management request help. But the federal mediators have no power to force one side or the other to accept the other side’s bargaining position, or to even order another contract extension.
But mediators are typically brought in long before the final day before a contract expires and strike is due to start.
“I think it’s too little, too late. It’s going to take an outside party several weeks to get his or her arms around these issues,” said Tom Nunan, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, as well as a film producer and writer.
1 hr 3 min ago
Decision on SAG-AFTRA strike will be announced at news conference this afternoon
From CNN's Natasha Chen
SAG-AFTRA members prepared picket signs last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
The outcome of a Thursday morning SAG-AFTRA National Board vote on whether to strike will be announced at a 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) news conference, Pamela Greenwalt, chief communications and marketing officer for SAG-AFTRA, told CNN Thursday.
The union, which represents about 160,000 Hollywood actors, is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services failed.
It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.
1 hr 4 min ago
Actors set to strike after negotiations with major studios and streaming services fail to produce agreement
From CNN's Chris Isidore
SAG-AFTRA picket signs made last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.
It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, the union, said in a statement the studio management’s offers were “insulting and disrespectful.”
The union said its negotiating committee had unanimously recommended a strike and that its governing board will vote on that recommendation later Thursday morning.
The body representing studios and streaming services said it was “deeply disappointed” in the decision to strike, saying it had offered “historic” pay increases.
News of the upcoming strike action comes after a two-week extension of the union’s contract expired. A federal mediator requested by management and approved by the union joined the final day of talks.
Writers Guild has already been on strike: SAG-AFTRA members will now join the more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike against the same studios since the start of May.
That strike had already halted production of most movies and scripted television programs. There has been no apparent progress in ending it.
Now, there are concerns that with actors joining the writers on strike, the shutdowns could stretch through the summer and perhaps even persist through the end of the year.
The actors’ strike is expected to bring most of the remaining productions to a halt, with the exception of some independent films not associated with major studios.
Hollywood actors and writers haven’t been on strike at the same time since 1960, when former US President Ronald Reagan, then a performer, was the president of SAG, the precursor to SAG-AFTRA.
SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents about 160,000 actors, set to on strike at midnight PT Friday morning after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.
Actors are calling for increased pay as well as progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services.
The actors join 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have already been on strike for two months now.
This is the first actors strike against television shows and movie productions since 1980 — and Hollywood actors and writers haven’t been on strike at the same time since 1960. It will likely bring most remaining productions to a halt.
The SAG-AFTRA building is pictured today in Los Angeles, California. Mike Blake/Reuters
There are hopes by some in the industry that since writers and actors are out at the same time, that will put pressure on the studios and streaming services to improve their offers and get everyone back to work sooner rather than later. The last time the writers and the Screen Actors Guild, the precursor of SAG-AFTRA, were on strike at the same time was 1960 — so long ago that Ronald Reagan was the SAG president leading that strike.
But everyone agrees the industry is going through unprecedented change as the ways that the public consumes shows are changing rapidly, and the economics are changing with it.
Disney CEO Bob Iger didn’t seem to suggest there will be a solution in the near term, in comments Thursday morning.
“They are adding to a set of challenges this business is already facing that is quite frankly very disruptive,” said Iger, who is set to receive more than $25 million in compensation this year, about SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild in an interview on CNBC. “You have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver.”
But the unions say their members are suffering because of the changes in the business, like the shrinking amount of broadcast residuals in the age of streaming, and they’ve been pushed to the point where they can’t accept what the studios and streaming services are offering.
“The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry’s business model, while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber,” said a statement from Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s chief negotiator, issued early Thursday morning. “The studios and streamers have underestimated our members’ resolve, as they are about to fully discover.”
So don’t expect to see the return of many of your favorite shows any time soon.
Mark Ruffalo seen attending the Writers Guild of America strike outside the NBC Building on May 23 in New York City. Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
Many high-profile actors and actresses, including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Quinta Brunson and Rami Malek, among others, signed a letter urging SAG-AFTRA to take a hard line. In it, actors said they were prepared to go on strike for the contract that members need going forward.
“A strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it,” said the letter. “But we are prepared to strike if it comes to that. And we are concerned by the idea that SAG-AFTRA members may be ready to make sacrifices that leadership is not. We hope you’ve heard the message from us. This is an unprecedented inflection point in our industry, and what might be considered a good deal in any other years is simply not enough.”
More than 300 actors signed the letter initially, and the signature count has now climbed to more than 1,000, according to trade publication Deadline. Among others who have signed on are Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cobie Smulders and Pedro Pascal.
The issues are some of the same as in the writers’ strike, including not only increased pay but progress on residuals paid for when films or shows are shown again, particularly on streaming services. Streaming platforms have been repeatedly removing older films and episodic shows from their services. Reducing payments of residuals is the main incentive to do so.
Fran Drescher, the star of the 1990s sitcom “The Nanny” and the current president of SAG-AFTRA, has also signed the letter.
When the 11th-hour contract extension was announced, Drescher seemed to be addressing those calling for a tough line in talks when she said in an email to membership, “No one should mistake this extension for weakness. We see you. We hear you. We are you.”
But Drescher has since faced criticism on social media for attending Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda festivities in southern Italy this past weekend. The union issued a statement saying that the appearance was part of commitment to serve as a “brand ambassador,” and that she had been continuing to participate in negotiations remotely. But members took to social media to criticize the optics of her appearing there as a strike deadline loomed.
SAG-AFTRA members preparing picket signs last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
The current contract for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) expired at 11:59 p.m. PT Wednesday.
The union faced a previous strike deadline on July 1, only to announce an 11th-hour contract extension. But nearly two weeks that followed haven’t produced any kind of breakthrough to avoid a strike.
The final day of talks included a federal mediator, which studio management and streaming services’ executives requested late Monday. The actors union agreed but made clear that it was not willing to grant another extension and that if the final day of talks does not produce a last-minute deal, it will go on strike.
The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP), which is negotiating on behalf of the studios, includes Amazon, Apple, CBS, Disney, NBC Universal, Netflix, Paramount Global, Sony and CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery. It did not have a comment about the 11th hour request for mediation or what it hoped would be accomplished.
The union was clearly angered by the last-minute request for mediation. It said there were published reports in trade publications about the AMPTP’s desire to have mediation even before the request was made to union negotiators at the bargaining table.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is a government agency set up to try to prevent strikes by bringing two sides together. Its site says its mediators can become involved when both labor and management request help. But the federal mediators have no power to force one side or the other to accept the other side’s bargaining position, or to even order another contract extension.
But mediators are typically brought in long before the final day before a contract expires and strike is due to start.
“I think it’s too little, too late. It’s going to take an outside party several weeks to get his or her arms around these issues,” said Tom Nunan, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, as well as a film producer and writer.
SAG-AFTRA members prepared picket signs last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
The outcome of a Thursday morning SAG-AFTRA National Board vote on whether to strike will be announced at a 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) news conference, Pamela Greenwalt, chief communications and marketing officer for SAG-AFTRA, told CNN Thursday.
The union, which represents about 160,000 Hollywood actors, is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services failed.
It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.
SAG-AFTRA picket signs made last week in preparation for a possible strike. SAG-AFTRA
A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is poised to go on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.
It will be the first time its members have stopped work on movie and television productions since 1980, after a final day of negotiations on Wednesday did not produce an agreement.
Fran Drescher, president of SAG-AFTRA, the union, said in a statement the studio management’s offers were “insulting and disrespectful.”
The union said its negotiating committee had unanimously recommended a strike and that its governing board will vote on that recommendation later Thursday morning.
The body representing studios and streaming services said it was “deeply disappointed” in the decision to strike, saying it had offered “historic” pay increases.
News of the upcoming strike action comes after a two-week extension of the union’s contract expired. A federal mediator requested by management and approved by the union joined the final day of talks.
Writers Guild has already been on strike: SAG-AFTRA members will now join the more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike against the same studios since the start of May.
That strike had already halted production of most movies and scripted television programs. There has been no apparent progress in ending it.
Now, there are concerns that with actors joining the writers on strike, the shutdowns could stretch through the summer and perhaps even persist through the end of the year.
The actors’ strike is expected to bring most of the remaining productions to a halt, with the exception of some independent films not associated with major studios.
Hollywood actors and writers haven’t been on strike at the same time since 1960, when former US President Ronald Reagan, then a performer, was the president of SAG, the precursor to SAG-AFTRA.
