Despite reaching a deal with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) last month, it appears that the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike will last a bit longer, as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have suspended negotiations today, according to ComicBook.com.

AMPTP Breaks Off Talks With SAG-AFTRA

This move comes just a couple of weeks after the WGA strike came to an end, and likely extends the SAG-AFTRA strike even more than expected.

The SAG-AFTRA strike originally began in July, with many of the demands relating to restricting the use of AI technology to replace human workers and replicate actors’ likenesses without compensation or consent, as well as streaming royalties and residual payments. The guild has not gone on strike against television and film companies for over four decades. During the strike, many visual effects artists across the film and video game industries have also unionized, like Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios.

We have negotiated with them in good faith, despite the fact that last week they presented an offer that was, shockingly, worth less than they proposed before the strike began.

These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI, they refused to increase your wages to keep up with inflation, and they refuse to share a tiny portion of the immense revenue YOUR work generates for them.

SAG-AFTRA statement to membership (via Variety)

Per ComicBook.com, the studios insist that the deal on the table is comparable to what was offered to the WGA and the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and accuse SAG-AFTRA of being unreasonable. Disney CEO Bob Iger had previously called the demands of writers and actors “not realistic” and “very disturbing” to him before walking back those comments and becoming “personally committed” to ending the strikes.

The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA — putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our soildarity and putting pressure on our negotiators.

But just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.

SAG-AFTRA in a statement to Variety

According to Variety, SAG is also seeking an 11 percent increase in minimum rates to keep up with inflation. The AMPTP, however, is offering 5 percent, followed by increases of 4 percent and 3.5 percent — the same deal it gave to the WGA and DGA.

The studios presented this offer yesterday, October 11. In a statement, the AMPTP said,

After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.

We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon.

Statement from AMPTP

What do you think of this latest update for the SAG-AFTRA strike? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

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