SAG AFTRA Strike Started. Oppenheimer Cast Walked Out Of UK Premiere

[RAMROD 104,995]

A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is going on strike after talks with major studios and streaming services have failed.

It is 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 companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,” she said. “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”

The union said its governing board approved a strike after the negotiating committee had unanimously recommended it Thursday morning. 

At a news conference at the union’s headquarters in Los Angeles, Drescher said the union would not accept changes to the contract that do not match up to the changes happening in the industry.

“We’re not going to keep doing incremental changes on a contract that no longer honors what is happening right now with this business model that was foisted upon us,” she said at the news conference. “What are we doing? Moving around furniture on the Titanic? It’s crazy.”

The union’s rank-and-file members had already voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

The body representing studios and streaming services said it was “deeply disappointed” in the decision to strike, saying it had offered “historic” pay increases.

“Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods,” said a statement from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

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.

The strikes come at a time when the major media and tech companies that have jumped into the world of streaming services are focused on cost cutting and profitability, rather than subscriber growth. 

The AMPTP is negotiating on behalf of the studios — including Amazon (AMZN), Apple(AAPL), CBS (VIAC), Disney (DIS), NBC Universal, Netflix (NFLX), Paramount Global, Sony (SNE)and CNN parent Warner Bros. Discovery. 

Many of these companies have seen drops in their stock prices in the last year, prompting cost cuts that have included layoffs.

It had earlier seemed as if the actors’ strike could have been avoided. 

Drescher recorded a video message to members saying the union was having “extremely productive negotiations” with AMPTP.

But immediately after her message, a letter signed by hundreds of high-profile performers — including Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jennifer Lawrence, Bob Odenkirk, Mark Ruffalo, Quinta Brunson and Rami Malek — urged the union to take a hard line. 

The actors said they were prepared to go on strike for the contract that members needed. 

“A strike brings incredible hardships to so many, and no one wants it,” the letter said. 

“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. The signature count has since climbed to over 1,000, according to trade publication Deadline.

The issues in the actors’ strike included increased pay, as well as progress on residuals, particularly on streaming services. 

There are also concerns about the emergence of AI.

“We all agree AI is going to be used. We don’t know yet how it will be used,” said Tom Nunan, a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

The AMPTP said its proposal to the union included “a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses.”

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.

Meanwhile, cast of director Christopher Nolan’s hotly anticipated war-era drama “Oppenheimer” is standing united in the effort to support the SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Stars of the film appeared on the red carpet of the film’s UK premiere on Thursday before the strike was officially announced, but they ended up walking out of the event “to write their picket signs,” according to Nolan. 

Addressing the audience inside the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square theater before the screening began, as seen in videos posted to social media, Nolan acknowledged the work of Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh and Robert Downey Jr., among other “Oppenheimer” cast members.
 

“We have to acknowledge (that) you’ve seen them here earlier on the red carpet,” Nolan said, adding “unfortunately they’re off to write their picket signs for what we believe to be an imminent strike by SAG.” 

Nolan continued that the actors who left the “Oppenheimer” premiere in support of the union that represents them join “one of my guilds, the Writer’s Guild, in the struggle for fair wages for working members of the union, and we support them.”
 

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/07/13/business/sag-aftra-actors-talks-hnk-intl/index.html

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/07/13/entertainment/oppenheimer-cast-sag-strike/index.html

Best of luck for everyone striking

The AI part is especially concerning.

 

[weed 71,439]

I'm gagged there's 160,000 Hollywood actors! Wow! 

Slay for them, hope they get what they want.

[LaLa 19,197]

Love to see labour organizing 

Hope to see Gaga out on the picket lines! 

[andy232000 9,884]

Could this potentially delay any non movie related projects too? I understand Radio Artists are also part of the union. Goodbye CB film

[RAMROD 104,995]

11 minutes ago, andy232000 said:

Could this potentially delay any non movie related projects too? I understand Radio Artists are also part of the union. Goodbye CB film

No news yet, hopefully we will hear updates on that subject soon. As for now seems anyone that does film/tv related professions are the one striking

[G U C C I 5,394]

Welp…until this is all cleared up I can’t imagine at Gaga will be able to do literally anything. Not even personal social media posts, which she doesn’t really do anyway but knowing nothing can be posted sucks. The only real question is if Gaga is a member of the SAG-AFTRA union? I would automatically assume she is and therefore it will be complete silence from her until this is over. 

[RAMROD 104,995]

2 minutes ago, G U C C I said:

Welp…until this is all cleared up I can’t imagine at Gaga will be able to do literally anything. Not even personal social media posts, which she doesn’t really do anyway but knowing nothing can be posted sucks. The only real question is if Interscope can overrule her legal obligations to SAG-AFTRA and allow for an album release if there was going to be one in the next few months. 

She might able to post the non movie/TV stuffs that she's in. Unless she had record those ahead of time, as the movie studios did with rest if the summer movies that is about to release, they just need to mention that it was recorded before the strike started.   

[CheapGin 558]

This wouldn’t affect any of Gaga’s projects and she could still post on social media about whatever she wants but she SHOULD use her platform to support writers and actors and get the studios to pay up fairly.

[CheapGin 558]

1 hour ago, G U C C I said:

Welp…until this is all cleared up I can’t imagine at Gaga will be able to do literally anything. Not even personal social media posts, which she doesn’t really do anyway but knowing nothing can be posted sucks. The only real question is if Gaga is a member of the SAG-AFTRA union? I would automatically assume she is and therefore it will be complete silence from her until this is over. 

She has to be in SAG-AFTRA to work in film/tv as an actor, and she’s been nominated and votes in their award ceremony. But all of her work that doesn’t include acting jobs and Union film/tv wouldn’t be included in the strike. Music artists aren’t represented by a union

The Chromatica film is also likely near complete so studios would look to completed-non scripted content to be pushing out without scripted content coming out with the writers/actors striking.

[Ivy 11,712]

I guess these are the rules for the strike 

[Fzz 416]

1 hour ago, CheapGin said:

She has to be in SAG-AFTRA to work in film/tv as an actor, and she’s been nominated and votes in their award ceremony. But all of her work that doesn’t include acting jobs and Union film/tv wouldn’t be included in the strike. Music artists aren’t represented by a union

The Chromatica film is also likely near complete so studios would look to completed-non scripted content to be pushing out without scripted content coming out with the writers/actors striking.

Do you think tcb film will be affected by the strike if it ends up being a documentary?

[LaLa 19,197]

3 minutes ago, Fzz said:

Do you think tcb film will be affected by the strike if it ends up being a documentary?

I think if it’s all done and handed over, whatever streamer will want to air it because they’ll need content. 

BUT I don’t think Gaga will be willing to promote it, even if she were technically allowed. So they’d have to decide if they want to go ahead if Gaga won’t even do a single tweet or whatever. Might depend on how desperate they get lol

If it’s not done though and Gaga is still involved creatively I think we don’t see it until the strike is over. 

[G U C C I 5,394]

1 hour ago, CheapGin said:

She has to be in SAG-AFTRA to work in film/tv as an actor, and she’s been nominated and votes in their award ceremony. But all of her work that doesn’t include acting jobs and Union film/tv wouldn’t be included in the strike. Music artists aren’t represented by a union

The Chromatica film is also likely near complete so studios would look to completed-non scripted content to be pushing out without scripted content coming out with the writers/actors striking.

Recording and singing artists are included in this union though. That’s what the R (Radio) stands for. Some major artists for record labels may not be included and you can also be an actor and not be a member, hence why they put out a warning to non-union workers.  Gaga was a huge pop star before an actress so she may not have joined for legal reasons. If she is a member though this could 100% potentially impact her music career. 

[LaLa 19,197]

5 minutes ago, G U C C I said:

Gaga was a huge pop star before an actress so she may not have joined for legal reasons. If she is a member though this could 100% potentially impact her music career. 

She’s a member for sure, she’s been nominated for SAG awards 

[phantasmas 9,970]

MY QUEEN