Another Hollywood union has gone on strike. On Thursday, SAG-AFTRA, which represents about 160,000 actors, announced that members were going on strike after failed talks with major studios and streaming services. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, former star of the Nanny, delivered a passionate speech announcing the strike.
"I went in in earnest thinking that we would be able to avert a strike," she said. "The gravity of this move is not lost on me, or our negotiating committee, or our board members. It’s a very serious thing that impacts thousands, if not millions, of people all across this country and around the world — not only members of this union, but people who work in other industries."
Members of the Writers Guild of America have already been on strike for two months, and now members of SAG-AFTRA are joining them, meaning that Hollywood actors and writers are on strike at the same time for the first time since 1960.
"We had no choice. We are the victims here. We are being victimized by a very greedy entity. I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us," Fran said. "I cannot believe it, quite frankly: How far apart we are on so many things. How they plead poverty, that they’re losing money left and right when giving hundreds of millions of dollars to their CEOs. It is disgusting. Shame on them."
The actors on strike are asking for increased pay, but Fran also pointed out that they are fighting against bigger issues, like corporate greed and artificial intelligence.
"They stand on the wrong side of history at this very moment. We stand in solidarity, in unprecedented unity. Our union and our sister unions and the unions around the world are standing by us, as well as other labor unions," Fran said. "Because at some point, the jig is up. You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored. The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI."
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"They’ve recognized, as writers have, that the studios have broken the business and are calling the studios to account," a showrunner told The Hollywood Reporter. "We don’t point out how much money these CEOs make to shame them — though they should be ashamed. We point it out to demonstrate that these companies clearly have money. They just don’t want to give it to writers or actors."
How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas also had thoughts to share, writing, "Lest any rich, conservative AMPTP corporate types think us wacky, liberal artist types are being unreasonable, the president of SAG during the previous actors strike was … (checks notes): Ronald Reagan."
