As SAG-AFTRA continues negotiating for a new contract with the AMPTP ahead of their deadline, which was extended to midnight tonight, representatives for IATSE, the Teamsters, the DGA, the WGA, and the Hollywood Basic Crafts have issued a joint statement of solidarity in support of the industry’s actors.
SAG-AFTRA is widely expected to call a strike tonight, barring last-minute intervention from federal mediators or some other kind of miracle. The use of artificial intelligence remains a sticking point for the guild, which is also fighting for better streaming residuals.
The letter can be found below:
Hollywood must be a place where every worker, on-screen and off, is treated according to the value their skills and talents command. While the studios have collective worth of trillions of dollars, billions of viewers globally, and sky-high profits, this fight is not about actors against the studios, but rather about workers across all crafts and departments in the industry standing together to prevent mega-corporations from eroding the conditions we fought decades to achieve.
We recognize the actors have taken the step of voting in favor of strike authorization, arming SAG-AFTRA leadership with the authority to call a strike if the studios do not address performers’ unique priorities. As their current agreement is set to expire on July 12, 2023, we call on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to immediately acknowledge the contributions of performers and negotiate a suitable contract with their union. We will reiterate: Together, our solidarity is not to be underestimated. The Hollywood Unions and Guilds stand more united than ever.
In solidarity,
Matthew D. Loeb
International President, IATSE
Michael Winship
President, Writers Guild of America, East
Lindsay Dougherty
Motion Picture Division Director & Western Region Vice President, Teamsters
Hollywood Basic Crafts, Chairperson
Meredith Stiehm
President, Writers Guild of America West
Lesli Linka Glatter
President, Directors Guild of America
