First, it was the WGA. Now, an even bigger threat to broadcast television is lurking.
A TV/Theatrical strike authorization has been put to SAG-AFTRA Members, thanks to unanimous agreement by the union’s National Board.
The authorization vote to SAG-AFTRA card holders was made on Wednesday, and comes after the union said it stands in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America’s West and East groups, both of which are on strike.
With SAG-AFTRA in support of WGA “in their fight to achieve a fair and equitable contract,” SAG-AFTRA’s National Board has its eye on the union’s forthcoming TV/Theatrical Contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
Those talks begin June 7, and they could be tense, as the SAG-AFTRA board members were in unison in recommending that its members vote to authorize a strike. The current SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Agreement expires at midnight on June 30.
An affirmative vote does not mean a strike would necessarily happen. But, SAG-AFTRA explains, “it would allow the National Board to call one if deemed necessary during the negotiations process.”
The action, SAG-AFTRA says. comes following a unanimous agreement by the TV/Theatrical negotiating committee that the strike authorization would give the union maximum bargaining leverage as it enters this round of negotiations with the AMPTP.
SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 entertainment and media professionals. And, any strike authorization would not impact those in the radio broadcasting industry.
A successful strike authorization vote doesn’t initiate a strike. Instead, the strike authorization permits the National Board to declare a strike if the studios and streaming companies fail to negotiate fairly with SAG-AFTRA for the benefit of its members.
Speaking for SAG-AFTRA, President Fran Drescher, known for her starring role in “The Nanny” and her appearance in cult classic feature film Spinal Tap, said, “For the first time in a very long time, our member leadership stands in solidarity at the negotiating committee and the National Board levels on moving forward with a strike authorization. We must get all our ducks in a row should the need present itself. The prospect of a strike is not a first option, but a last resort. As my dad always says, ‘Better to have and not need than to need and not have!’ Therefore, I implore eligible members to follow the leads of both the negotiating committee and the National Board with an unprecedented show of solidarity and make three a charm with an emphatic ‘yes’ for a strike authorization vote!”
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland added, “Strike authorization sends an important message during the negotiations process. A ‘yes’ vote gives the National Board the power to call a strike if the AMPTP does not negotiate fairly in our upcoming bargaining. This will be a seminal negotiation that will determine the future of what it means to be a working performer. We must be ready to fight to secure a meaningful deal for our members.”
As SAG-AFTRA sees it, “earning a living as a professional performer has become increasingly difficult, with both inflation and the streaming ecosystem undercutting compensation — all the while, corporate profits and executive pay at studios continue to rise.”
Then, there is the “unregulated use of artificial intelligence and the burdens of the industrywide shift to self-tape,” which SAG-AFTRA believes clouds the outlook for working actors, making it “unsustainable without transformative change.”
SAG-AFTRA says postcards will be sent to eligible members on Thursday (5/18) with instructions on how to vote. Voting will close at 8pm Eastern on June 5.
