Hollywood actors in strike to snatch their rights

The world’s most attractive and prestigious personality as well as whose are staying as icon in the eye of all people of the world  as feeling alive after ages has now become frustrated finally. Hence decided to snatch their rights in the guise of strike which is really rare to see and hear. 

Finally the union representing U.S. film and television actors was expected to authorize a strike on Thursday after talks with Hollywood studios broke down, setting the stage for performers to join writers on picket lines and disrupt scores of shows and movies.

Meanwhile, negotiators for the SAG-AFTRA union recommended the strike early on Thursday, and its national board was due to take a final vote later in the day. And if  it becomes approved, Hollywood studios would face their first dual work stoppage in 63 years, hobbling productions across the United States and abroad.

Both SAG-AFTRA, Hollywood's largest union representing 160,000 film and television actors, and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are demanding increases in base pay and residuals in the streaming TV era plus assurances that their work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

Regarding the issue Fran Drescher, former star of "The Nanny" TV show and the president of SAG-AFTRA, said, the studios' responses to actors' concerns "insulting and disrespectful."

She said, the companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us,

She said in a statement after a deadline for actors to agree on a new contract expired at midnight on Wednesday. "Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal."

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the trade association that negotiates on behalf of Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) and other production companies, said it was "deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations."

On the other hand, the group said it had offered "historic pay and residual increases" and "a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors' digital likenesses." 

Also here they mentioned that, actors are worried that their digital images could be be used without their permission or proper compensation.

Meanwwhile for the running strike the industry has to incurr a huge financial loss. In a data represented, the strike by roughly 11,500 writers has sent late-night television talk shows into endless reruns, disrupted most production for the fall TV season and halted work on big-budget movies.

It would also hamper many overseas shoots involving SAG-AFTRA talent, such as Paramount Pictures' sequel to "Gladiator," which director Ridley Scott has been shooting in Morocco and Malta.

Even few of production work not involving SAG-AFTRA performers could proceed, such as location scouting or certain kinds of post-production editing. But the loss of actors, who would also not do any promotional work for the film and television productions while on strike, will put more pressure on media companies to find a resolution.

It needs to be cited that Hollywood has not faced such of simultaneous strikes since 1960, when members of the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild both walked off the job in a fight over residuals from films sold to TV networks.

On the contrary as CEO of Disney Bob Iger, contract has been extended to the end of 2026, told CNBC on Thursday that the writers' and actors' unions had unrealistic expectations.

"It's very disturbing to me," Iger said, noting the entertainment industry's ongoing recovery from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. "This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption."

Actors say the rise of the streaming era has made it harder to earn their livelihoods, especially for the many thousands of SAG-AFTRA members who are not household names.

"You have to make $26,000 a year to qualify for your health insurance and there are a lot of people who get across that threshold through their residual payments," actor Matt Damon said at a promotional event held for the film "Oppenheimer" on Wednesday. "There's money being made and it needs to be allocated in a way that takes care of people who are on the margins."

Source: Reuters