Hollywood Actors Expected To Begin Strike Today, First Since 1980

gamespot.com:

Hollywood writers have been on strike since May, and now actors are preparing to strike as well. The biggest actor's union in Hollywood, SAG-AFTRA, has confirmed plans to begin striking as soon as today, July 13. The previous contract expired at 11:59 PM on July 12.

This will be the first strike by actors for film and TV since 1980. It's also the first time since 1960 that both writers and actors are striking at the same time, according to Deadline.

SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the movie and TV studios, had been conducting negotiations late into the night on July 12. However, negotiations broke down and actors are now expected to go on strike. The SAG-AFTRA board will hold a meeting today, July 13, to vote on a strike.

Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, said in a statement that the actors' union negotiated «in good faith» and wanted to reach a deal, but the AMPTP only put forth «insulting and disrespectful» counters.

«The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board,» Drescher said.

For its part, the AMPTP, which negotiates on behalf of Apple, Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, WB Discovery, Amazon, and NBC Universal, said it is «deeply disappointed» in this result.

SAG-AFTRA is asking for «economic fairness, residuals, regulating the use of artificial intelligence, and alleviating the burdens of the industry-wide shift to self-taping.» AMPTP said it offered «historic» pay and residual