The Screen Actors Guild goes on strike initiating the largest shutdown in Hollywood

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), a Los Angeles-based union representing 160,000 Hollywood actors, has initiated a strike, resulting in the largest shutdown in Hollywood in the past 40 years, according to media reports. In response to the strike, notable stars such as Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt reportedly left the premiere of the film Oppenheimer, as confirmed by Director Christopher Nolan.

The purpose of this strike is to put pressure on streaming giants to address various concerns, including a more equitable distribution of profits and improved working conditions for performers. Approximately 160,000 actors will participate in picket lines, aligning themselves with a separate strike led by writers.

The decision to strike follows the breakdown of last-minute discussions between the union, officially known as the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and major studios. Despite efforts to reach a resolution, the two parties failed to find common ground, leading the Screen Actors Guild to take decisive action.

The actors participating in the strike are advocating for improved pay and working conditions from streaming services. They are also demanding assurances that artificial intelligence and computer-generated faces and voices will not be used as replacements for human actors.

During a press conference in California, the executive director and chief negotiator of the union described the strike as a last resort. They expressed that they had no other choice but to take this course of action given the circumstances.

Following the breakdown of talks on Wednesday, the negotiating committee of the union unanimously voted to recommend strike action. In a statement quoted by Deadline, SAG-AFTRA stated that the major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros. Discovery, remained unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues essential to SAG-AFTRA members.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher stated, “SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the responses from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been insulting and disrespectful. The companies have refused to engage on important topics, and until they negotiate in good faith, we cannot reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity and recommend a strike to our National Board.”