Men and women share a protest sign hold a megaphone (Photo credit: shutterstock.com / voy ager)
SAG-AFTRA has joined the Writer’s Guild of America in a strike after failing to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
It was the first time both actors and writers unions have been on strike simultaneously in over 60 years.
“Earning a living as a professional performer has become increasingly difficult, with both inflation and the streaming ecosystem undercutting compensation — all the while, corporate profits and executive pay at studios continue to rise,” the organization released in a statement. “Add to this the unregulated use of artificial intelligence and the burdens of the industrywide shift to self-tape, the outlook for working actors becomes unsustainable without transformative change.”
During the strike, members of the union won’t participate in certain activities. Here are some of the things members can’t do during strike:
All current performing work under TV/Theatrical contracts must be withheld
No principal on-camera work like: acting, singing, dancing, performing stunts, piloting on-camera aircraft, puppeteering
Principal off-camera work like TV trailers promos and theatrical trailers, voice acting, singing, narration
Background work
Stand-in work
Photo and/or body doubles
Fittings, wardrobe tests and makeup tests
Rehearsals and camera tests
Scanning
Interviews and auditions, including self-tape
Promotion of public services for work under the TV/Theatrical like: Press tours, personal appearances, interviews, conventions, fan expos, festivals, panels, premieres/screenings, award shows, junkets, podcast appearances, social media, studio showcases
Negotiating or entering into: An agreement to perform covered services in the future, a new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project, the creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
Performing on a trailer for production or content related to a production
