SAG-AFTRA, the union representing screen actors, appears poised to go on strike as its contract with studios expired at midnight Wednesday without a deal, with a formal vote to come Thursday morning, a potentially seismic event for the entertainment industry as actors join the Writers Guild of America in walking off the job to demand a stronger contract.
SAG-AFTRA members walk the picket line in solidarity with striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) ... [+]
SAG-AFTRA said in a statement early Thursday that the union’s contract had expired without a deal or extension to negotiations, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major television and film producers and streamers, “remain[ing] unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members.”
The union’s negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend a strike, the statement said, and SAG-AFTRA’s National Board will vote Thursday morning on whether to strike.
A press conference is planned for 12 p.m. Pacific time following the vote.
In a statement to Forbes, the AMPTP said it was “deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations,” calling the lack of a deal “the union’s choice, not ours.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.