The actors are still on strike. The struggle has now reached 100 days, and it seems that there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. In a series of posts published on X, the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) had invited them back to the negotiating table.
In that post, the official SAG-AFTRA profile announced, “official negotiations will resume on Tuesday, October 24th.” This would be a new opportunity to build bridges after the meetings failed on October 11th. At that time, the studios complained that the actors’ demands were too costly.
The SAG-AFTRA explains that they are willing to work towards an agreement that “is worth their sacrifice.” They also encourage people to be wary of any sources outside the negotiations: “don’t believe anything you hear unless it comes from us.”
If no agreement is reached, major award ceremonies would also be affected, such as the Golden Globes or the Oscars. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland already stated last Saturday that SAG-AFTRA members would not participate “in any way” in the upcoming awards season if the negotiations did not succeed.
Delays in Hollywood for a good cause
This past summer, the strike of writers and actors completely halted numerous Hollywood productions. Both sectors have been fighting to improve their working conditions and to prevent the use of artificial intelligence to replace them.
In this case, SAG-AFTRA is also advocating for better compensation for actors if their productions are re-aired on platforms like Netflix or HBO MAX, to name a few.
The Writers Guild (WGA) began the strike on May 2, followed by SAG-AFTRA on July 14. This marked a historic milestone as it was the first time since 1960 that both unions had gone on strike simultaneously.
