Amr Alfiky/Reuters
As the Hollywood actors strike enters its second week, SAG-AFTRA is turning up the heat on the major studios. On Monday evening, the actors union shared a detailed statement laying out how “far apart” the union remains from the major studios—which it alleges “are committed to prioritizing shareholders and Wall Street”—when it comes to issues like wage increases and AI.
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since May, and last week, Hollywood’s actors joined writers on the picket line. In its statement this week, SAG-AFTRA told its members, “We’re up against a system where those in charge of multibillion-dollar media conglomerates are rewarded for exploiting workers.”
Meanwhile, in its own release on Monday, the AMPTP claimed that “SAG-AFTRA continues to mischaracterize the negotiations.” The studios say that their “goal from day one has been to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with SAG-AFTRA. … For SAG-AFTRA to assert that we have not been responsive to the needs of its membership is disingenuous at best.”