User:Festucalex/2023 SAG-AFTRA strike

The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike is an ongoing strike between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The dispute is concurrent with the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike with both being part of the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, and marks the first time since 1960 in which both labor unions were on strike simultaneously, and the first time actors went on strike since the 1980 actors strike.

Negotiations
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP began on June 7, 2023, as the June 30 deadline for the union contract drew closer. Previously, a strike authorization vote was held, resulting in over 98% of SAG-AFTRA's membership voting in favor of striking in case an agreement wasn't reached. On June 27, an open letter signed by over 300 members of SAG-AFTRA, including some A-list celebrities like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Neil Patrick Harris, Ben Stiller, Rami Malek, and others, expressing concern that SAG-AFTRA's Negotiating Committee may be willing to settle for a deal that union members are not willing to accept.

On July 1, a mutual agreement was reached to extend the deadline to July 12 in order to give more time to the negotiations.

SAG-AFTRA's main demands included an increase in residual pay, which has declined due to the rise of media streaming, an end to self-taped auditions, as well as protections for actors against advances in artificial intelligence technology, which they fear will enable studios to use actors' likeness without consent or pay. SAG-AFTRA accused AMPTP of "[not having] any intention of bargaining toward an agreement", with AMPTP alleging that SAG-AFTRA "has decided to walk away from negotiations".

Nearing the final days of the extended deadline, and with no agreement on the horizon, AMPTP requested federal mediation.

Strike
If a strike becomes necessary, we're ready. July 8, 2023

As the extended deadline expired at 23:59PT on July 12, 2023, the SAG-AFTRA Negotiating Committee voted unanimously to recommend a strike to the union's National Board. SAG-AFTRA attributed the failure of the negotiations to AMPTP's "intransigence and delay tactics". The National Board scheduled a meeting for later that morning to formally approve the launch of a strike. The strike was announced via a livestream press conference later that day.

Under SAG-AFTRA's rules, striking members may not film any new material and may not participate in promotional events such as press junkets or film premiers. In response, some media companies have held those events in advance of the deadline.

SAG-AFTRA started preparing for the strike days in advance, stating "If a strike becomes necessary, we're ready." Picket signs were printed, and surveys were sent to coordinate walkout action.