1 year ago
30
Six weeks after the Writers Guild of America went on strike against the major movie, television, and streaming studios, the union representing movie and television actors has overwhelmingly authorized a strike. With nearly half of SAG-AFTRA members voting, the vote was nearly 97.9% in favor of a strike authorization.
An authorization is not the same thing as a strike. In this case, the performers’ contract doesn’t expire until June 30 and negotiations for a new contract are just starting. But the union is going into those negotiations having sent a strong signal to the studios that it will absolutely join the writers in striking if it doesn’t get a satisfactory contract. That could have a massive impact on the entertainment industry: “The writers strike has caused a sharp downturn in production, especially in television,” Variety’s Gene Maddaus writes. “If SAG-AFTRA goes on strike, any remaining film and TV production would halt immediately.”
”The studios right now can make movies without writers. They're saying, 'We already have a supply of material, we can easily go through the fall, we don't need anyone,'" University of Southern California labor historian Steve Ross told CBS News. "Well, you need actors. Even if you have scripts and you have directors, who's going to be acting?"
