Hundreds of professionals from the American film and television industry demonstrated in unionized unity at the foot of the giants Amazon and HBO in New York on Tuesday to demand better working conditions and job security in the face of the threat posed by artificial intelligence.
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This demonstration – which occurs almost every day in Manhattan – was exceptional as it was organized on the occasion of “National Day of Union Solidarity” at the call of all professional organizations on the small and big screen.
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A double strike movement has paralyzed Hollywood for screenwriters since May, which actors joined in July.
“As you can see, it’s huge! “The movement has only grown (…) with a solidarity, determination and union unity we had never seen before,” welcomed AFP Ezra Knight, branch president. New Yorker from the powerful actors’ and actresses’ union SAG-AFTRA.
The demonstration was enlivened by slogans, banners and car drivers honking their horns in support.
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“I’m scared, but I feel good here. “We’re fighting for something, being part of a big group and feeling like we’re all in the same boat is something reassuring,” Laura Houha, a 34-year-old actress from the same union, told AFP.
The two Hollywood strikes — not seen since 1960 — halted all US film and television production except for reality TV and games. The Emmy Awards, television’s “Oscars,” have been postponed from September 18 to January 15, 2024.
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SAG-AFTRA, which represents 160,000 actors, stuntmen, dancers and other television and film professionals, bans all of its members from filming but also from promoting their productions, whether in person or on social networks.
The union is demanding better wages, job protections and a framework for the use of artificial intelligence, which Knight says poses a “threat”.
And dialogue between the WGA writers’ union and the heads of studios and streaming platforms — like Prime, HBO, Amazon, and Warner Bros. Discovery — has been virtually non-existent.
However, a glimmer of hope has appeared in recent days since unions sat down with the AMPTP, the organization of producers including Disney and Netflix.
A “good sign” for Mr. Knight.
AFP
Today’s demonstration shows that the social movement in America has always been active, but has always been threatened by the profit motives of capitalists and corporations. But (…) we’re still here, the fight goes on,” assured the trade unionist.