Hollywood actors join screenwriters in historic industry-stopping strike

Leaders of a Hollywoods actors union voted Thursday to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with the studios and streaming services broke downDuncan CrabtreeIreland executive director of the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Radio and Television Artists said at a news conference that the union leadership voted for the work stoppage hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers representing employers including Disney Netflix Amazon and othersA strike is an instrument of last resort he said Its the first strike for actors from film and television shows since 1980 And its the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960 when Ronald Reagan was the actors guild presidentWith a stoppage looming the premiere of Christopher Nolans film Oppenheimer in London was moved up an hour so that the cast could walk the red carpet before the SAG boards announcementThe looming strike also cast a shadow over the upcoming 75th Emmy Awards whose nominations were announced a day earlier Disney chief Bob Iger warned Thursday that an actors strike would have a very damaging effect on the whole industryThis is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption Iger said in an appearance on CNBC Theres a level of expectation that SAGAFTRA and the WGA have that is just not realisticAn extension of the contract and negotiations for nearly two weeks only heightened the hostility between the two groupsBefore the talks began June 7 the 65000 actors who cast ballots voted overwhelmingly union leaders to send them into a strike as the Writers Guild of America did when their deal expired more than two months agoWhen the initial deadline approached in late June more than 1000 members of the union including Meryl Streep Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk added their names to a letter signaling to leaders their willingness to strikeThe stakes in the negotiations included both base and residual pay which actors say has been undercut by inflation and the streaming ecosystem benefits and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligenceThe AMPTP said it was disappointed in the breakdownThis is the Unions choice not ours In doing so it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions audition protections shortened series option periods a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors digital likenesses and more the group said in a statementIt added that instead of continuing to negotiate SAGAFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoodsSAGAFTRA represents more than 160000 screen actors broadcast journalists announcers hosts and stunt performers The walkout affects only the unions 65000 actors from television and film productions who voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike before talks began on June 7The 11500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since their own talks collapsed and their contract expired on May 2 The stoppage has showed no signs of a solution with no negotiations even plannedThat strike brought the immediate shutdown of latenight talk shows and Saturday Night Live and several scripted shows including Stranger Things on Netflix Hacks on Max and Family Guy on Fox have either had their writers rooms or their production paused Many more are sure to follow them now that performers have been pulled tooThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever