By priyanjana kar
On 13th July, SAG-AFTRA members declared unanimously that they would strike from 14th July after the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers and the Screen Actor Guild could not reach an agreement on new labor laws agreement. This strike is making history as it comes after 63 years when a similar strike was seen in Hollywood.
Over 160,000 members, which include actors, writers, stunt actors, and other staff members of the industry, are presently working under the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. With this number of people going on strike, it is bound to have an effect on the industry.
You might not get to watch your favorite show or series for a few weeks or months, as the strike is not going to stop until all the demands of SAG-AFTRA are agreed on. Some of these demands of the members are for better working conditions, better pay, threats from AI upon their work, and many more.
The president of SAG-AFTRA, Fran Drescher, says, “At some point, the jig is up. You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored. The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, and AI. This is a moment of history. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble,” about the reason for the strike.
Stars of Oppenheimer Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy, and Emily Blunt are said to have left the red carpet while on a press tour in London as soon as the strike was declared to show support for the guild’s decision. Hollywood actors like Meryl Streep, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Priyanka Chopra, Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Wild, and Ewan McGregor have willingly shown support for the strike. George Clooney came out in support of the campaign this Friday and said, “Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living,” speaking from “an inflection point in our industry.”
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