SAG-AFTRA Members Strike After Negotiations with Motion Picture Studios Collapse

Hollywood actors have announced a strike after negotiations between their union and motion picture studios collapsed. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) voted Thursday to strike after talks with film and TV studios fell apart.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s national executive director, said in a press release that the current model devalues their members and affects their ability to make ends meet. The union’s chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said after the vote that the strike will begin at midnight tonight and all union members, leadership and staff will be out on the picket lines tomorrow morning.

The SAG-AFTRA had agreed to extend talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) two weeks past their contract expiration date of June 30, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement in that time, even after federal mediators joined discussions. The union’s negotiating committee unanimously recommended a strike to its national board early Thursday.

About 65,000 actors represented by the SAG-AFTRA are now walking off the set effective midnight Friday. Crabtree-Ireland said that actors deserve a contract that reflects the changes that have taken place in the industry. The strike could have a serious impact on the entertainment industry, potentially crippling film and TV productions across the U.S.