The writers’ strike set the script very high: discreet negotiations, talks that lasted only five days, a pact that was struck and 99% ratified by the union. Many therefore expected a similar script for the actors. But not. Late Wednesday night (early Thursday morning PST) something went awry and everything went to hell. And the strike continues without a clear end horizon. Because the Hollywood actors’ union has announced that it will suspend negotiations with the employers (consisting of half a dozen of the largest film studios in the world), which it harshly accuses of “tactics”, without a return date. insulting” in their negotiations.
The union, known in English by the acronym SAG-AFTRA, released a statement around midnight on Wednesday declaring the “suspension” of talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (Amptp, for its acronym in English). resumed on Monday, October 2nd. “After fruitful discussions, it is clear that the gap between Amptp and SAG-AFTRA is too great and the discussions are no longer leading us in a fruitful direction,” they explained. On their social networks, the message was harsher: “It is with great disappointment that we announce that the industry CEOs have left the negotiating table after refusing to accept our latest offer.” We negotiated with them in good faith, even though they last week presented an offer that was surprisingly lower than what had been proposed before the strike began. Our resolve is unwavering.”
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The union represents more than 160,000 interpreters in the United States who decided to go on strike on July 14 to improve their economic and working conditions. Their collective agreement is renewed every three years and it was time to improve it, but their demands were not accepted by the major Hollywood studios and platforms, so they stood up and only came on October 3 last year, after eighty Days, strikes together again and now the screenwriters, who have been on strike for almost five months, are going back to work.
But now the negotiations are stalling again. It could simply be a slip-up or even a pressure strategy on the part of one of them. But the problem could be serious and here to stay, with the sector paralyzed and already on the verge of Hollywood’s big awards season – leading up to March 10, when the Oscars take place – which brings with it a host of premieres and events, which are fundamental to the industry promotion that will be decaffeinated or disappear altogether this year.
The union was very harsh in its statements. They have stated that the companies they are negotiating with “refuse to protect interpreters from being replaced by artificial intelligence, refuse to increase salaries to overcome inflation and refuse to pay a tiny part to share the immense benefits their work brings.” “We’ve made big, significant changes, including a complete shift in the profit-sharing model that would cost companies less than 57 cents [0,54 céntimos de euros] per subscriber and year. They rejected the proposal. On the contrary, they used abusive tactics,” they say. The salary increase proposal meant that around $800 million (760 euros) would have to be paid to all majors annually.
One of the key issues the union is fighting for is what actors’ careers will look like with the development of artificial intelligence. According to SAG-AFTRA, Amptp required actors to sign a consent form on their first day of work so that a digital replica of the same actor could be used “for an entire film or franchise universe.” I don’t like the tactics either. Amptp denies this, but SAG-AFTRA counters by saying that they are “using the same failed strategy as the writers union: publishing misleading information to make our members abandon solidarity and put pressure on negotiations.” Indeed NBC chief Donna Langley told Bloomberg on Wednesday at the end of negotiations that they had “spent a lot of time with the actors” and that they hoped to “spend as much as necessary to reach an agreement” and get back to work.” At this point the negotiations had already broken off.
These days, the members of the union, led by their head of negotiations Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, sat at the table with the heads of companies such as Warner, Disney, Universal and Netflix, and, according to sources familiar with the matter, they met in a lengthy meeting on Wednesday Meeting “and much more controversial” than usual, according to the trade press Deadline. Amptp has stated that they want “SAG-AFTRA to reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon.” They affirm that they have increased the percentages of the minimum wage as well as the protections related to artificial intelligence and that they have responded to the demands of the actors. “In general, the Amptp has offered the same conditions confirmed by the directors and screenwriters’ unions, but the actors have rejected them,” its statement said. But when it was announced that the writers had reached an agreement, the president of the Interpreters, also actress Fran Drescher, told CNN emphatically: “We are happy with the agreement with the writers, but one does not fit all.”
Today they seem to have returned to first place. Pickets are still frequent in Los Angeles, actors are facing 100 days of unemployment, the industry has lost jobs and the state of California has lost more than $6 billion. “We feel the pain that these companies have inflicted on our members and the members of our team,” the union said in a statement, without giving up. “We have sacrificed too much to capitulate to their subterfuge and greed. “We remain united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow and every day.”
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