Global Courant
A possible strike is likely to halt all television and film productions.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) on Friday agreed to extend TV/theatrical contracts for 2020 to mitigate a possible strike to avert.
SAG-AFTRA has a open letter Friday to its members stating that a comprehensive and inclusive contract has been under negotiation for three weeks.
“No one should confuse this extension with weakness. We see you. We hear you. We are you,” the letter reads.
SAG-AFTRA voted last month to authorize a strike if a deal was not reached between the studios, production companies and streamers by June 30. Nearly 98% of the 65,000 members voted in favor of the strike.
Hollywood writers and their supporters of the actors’ union SAG AFTRA walk on the picket line outside Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California, June 30, 2023. (Photo by Robyn Beck/AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
The current SAG-AFTRA contract was due to expire at midnight on Friday, but has now been extended to July 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Rolling stone reported earlier this week that Hollywood superstars such as Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Ben Stiller were among 300 members who urged the union to push for better compensation and raised concerns about artificial intelligence in a letter .
Actors and comedians Tina Fey, center, and Fred Armisen, right, join striking members of the Writers Guild of America on the picket line, during a rally outside Silvercup Studios, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
The associated press
“We want you to know that we prefer to strike rather than compromise on these fundamentals, and we believe that to settle for a less drastic deal will undermine the future of our union and our craft, and SAG-AFTRA will enter the next negotiation with drastically reduced leverage,” the letter reads.
The Writers Guild of America went on strike in May after failing to reach an agreement with studios.
