Film and TV actors set up strike at end of June, potentially crippling entertainment industry
CBSN
Hollywood and TV writers have been on strike for the past month — and now, actors have signaled they're willing to join picket lines for their own battle.
On Monday, members of SAG-AFTRA, which represents film and TV actors, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if they don't reach a deal with major entertainment company studios by June 30. Nearly 98% of voting members were in favor of the strike, SAG-AFTRA said. The union and studios begin negotiations on Wednesday.
"As we enter what may be one of the most consequential negotiations in the union's history, inflation, dwindling residuals due to streaming, and generative AI all threaten actors' ability to earn a livelihood if our contracts are not adapted to reflect the new realities," Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA's national executive director, said in a statemetn. "This strike authorization means we enter our negotiations from a position of strength, so that we can deliver the deal our members want and deserve."