SAG-AFTRA has joined the Writer’s Guild of America in a strike after failing to reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
It was the first time both actors and writers unions have been on strike simultaneously in over 60 years.
“Earning a living as a professional performer has become increasingly difficult, with both inflation and the streaming ecosystem undercutting compensation — all the while, corporate profits and executive pay at studios continue to rise,” the organization released in a statement. “Add to this the unregulated use of artificial intelligence and the burdens of the industrywide shift to self-tape, the outlook for working actors becomes unsustainable without transformative change.”
During the strike, members of the union won’t participate in certain activities. Here are some of the things members can’t do during strike:
- All current performing work under TV/Theatrical contracts must be withheld
- No principal on-camera work like: acting, singing, dancing, performing stunts, piloting on-camera aircraft, puppeteering
- Principal off-camera work like TV trailers promos and theatrical trailers, voice acting, singing, narration
- Background work
- Stand-in work
- Photo and/or body doubles
- Fittings, wardrobe tests and makeup tests
- Rehearsals and camera tests
- Scanning
- Interviews and auditions, including self-tape
- Promotion of public services for work under the TV/Theatrical like: Press tours, personal appearances, interviews, conventions, fan expos, festivals, panels, premieres/screenings, award shows, junkets, podcast appearances, social media, studio showcases
- Negotiating or entering into: An agreement to perform covered services in the future, a new agreement related to merchandising connected to a covered project, the creation and use of digital replicas, including through the reuse of prior work
- Performing on a trailer for production or content related to a production
