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The union that represents greater than 160,000 movie and tv actors voted on Monday night time to authorize a strike, two days earlier than it’s to start negotiations on a brand new labor take care of the Hollywood studios. The end result from members of the SAG-AFTRA union, with 98 p.c authorizing a strike, was anticipated, and it got here in the course of the sixth week of a strike by Hollywood writers and only a day after the Directors Guild of America tentatively agreed to a new contract.
“Together we lock elbows, and in unity we construct a brand new contract that honors our contributions on this outstanding industry, displays the brand new digital and streaming enterprise mannequin and brings ALL our issues for protections and advantages into the now!” Fran Drescher, the president of the actors’ union, stated in a press release.
About 65,000 members solid ballots, or 48 p.c of eligible voters. The actors’ present settlement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which bargains on behalf of the studios, expires on June 30.
Why It Matters: The actors have the identical worries because the writers.
Many of the actors’ issues echo what the Writers Guild of America is preventing for: increased wages; elevated residual funds for his or her work, particularly for content material on streaming providers; and protections in opposition to utilizing actors’ likenesses with out permission as a part of the improved talents of synthetic intelligence. According to the writers, the studios provided little greater than “annual conferences to debate” synthetic intelligence, they usually refused to cut price over limits on the expertise.
The Directors Guild, in distinction, stated on Sunday that it had reached a “groundbreaking settlement confirming that A.I. isn’t an individual and that generative A.I. can not exchange the duties carried out by members.” Details about what that meant weren’t revealed.
Background: It has been an extended time for the reason that final actors’ strike.
The last time the actors went on strike was in 2000, in a dispute over industrial pay. The strike lasted shut to 6 months.
What’s Next: Negotiations start on Wednesday.
With negotiations anticipated to start on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA is bullish about what this strike authorization means. “We’re clearly coming in from a place of power, however we’re not seeking to strike,” stated Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union’s chief negotiator. “We’re right here to make a deal.” He added: “But we’re additionally not going to simply accept something lower than what our members deserve. If a strike is important to attain that, we’re ready.”
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers stated in a press release that “we’re approaching these negotiations with the aim of attaining a brand new settlement that’s helpful to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry total.”
Content Source: www.nytimes.com