Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse
%20(1).jpg "Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse") |
| Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse |
The world of entertainment has come to a grinding halt as a result of an ongoing writers' strike.
Written by Daniel Arkin
Hollywood's performers may soon find themselves in a new role: that of picketers.
A significant number of screen actors, who are represented by the influential labor union known as SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), are heading towards a potential strike.
This comes as the guild failed to reach an agreement with a trade association representing the leading studios in the industry.
In an early Thursday statement, SAG-AFTRA expressed that their Television/Theatrical/Streaming contracts have expired without a successor agreement.
Click here to follow Top Headline News-All about Latest and updated news site in Google News
The union's main objectives include securing higher compensation and implementing safeguards concerning the utilization of artificial intelligence in the creative arts.
Despite over four weeks of negotiations, the group representing major studios and streaming platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros.
Discovery has shown reluctance to present a fair deal on the crucial issues vital to SAG-AFTRA members, according to the union.
%20(1).jpg "Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse")
The union's national board is scheduled to convene on Thursday morning to determine whether a strike should be called, and a press conference is set to be held at 12 noon PT.
John Mayer's Request for Kindness Appears Ahead of Release of 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'
Expressing her dismay, SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher stated, "SAG-AFTRA engaged in sincere negotiations and was eager to secure an agreement that adequately addressed the needs of performers.
However, the AMPTP's responses to our critical proposals have been nothing short of insulting and disrespectful, considering the immense contributions we have made to this industry."
With the contract between the two parties expiring just before midnight on Wednesday, it marked the culmination of intense negotiations and a period filled with suspense.
The forthcoming strike will exclusively impact film and television productions, while exempting SAG-AFTRA members employed in the news sector, including specific broadcast hosts and announcers.
This announcement arrives over two months after the Writers Guild of America (WGA), a union representing film and television writers, initiated their own strike amid a dispute with the AMPTP.
Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Reimagined: The Must-Listen Track on Her Latest Album Edition
Notably, the AMPTP represents Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, with certain NBCUniversal News Group employees falling under the WGA representation.
The writers' strike brought television production to a standstill, causing delays in the filming of high-profile movies and prompting reruns of late-night talk shows. The actors' strike is expected to result in the suspension of various other productions.
%20(1).jpg "Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse")
With an overwhelming majority of 97.91% of nearly 65,000 participating members voting in favor, SAG-AFTRA authorized the strike on June 5.
Shortly thereafter, the guild commenced negotiations with top studios and streaming services.
Initially, the union's existing contract with major studios expired on June 30, but both sides agreed to continue negotiations and extended the talks until July 12.
SAG-AFTRA has contended that performers have been adversely affected by the evolving dynamics of streaming entertainment and the increasing impact of emerging technologies.
Consequently, the guild is seeking enhanced base compensation for performers, highlighting a decline in payments as streaming-first studios move away from residuals and the general effects of inflation on the economy.
Furthermore, the union's actors have expressed concerns about the potential consequences of unrelated artificial intelligence usage, such as digital replacements for recognizable stars.
They are also alarmed by the financial burden of "self-taped auditions," which were previously covered by casting departments and production offices.
There had been concerns in recent weeks that all three major Hollywood guilds — SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) — might simultaneously initiate strikes.
However, this will not be the case, as the DGA announced in early June that it had reached a "truly historic" tentative agreement with the studios.
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).jpg&description=Hollywood Celebrities Prepare to Strike as Contract Talks Collapse){kind=link}
0 Comments