Negotiations to end the ongoing actors strike have come to a screeching halt after Hollywood studios walked away from the bargaining table.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has declared that their talks with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have been suspended as the gap between the two parties is “too great”.
“Negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended after SAG-AFTRA presented its most recent proposal on October 11,” confirmed the trade association representing studios and streamers. “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.”
The AMPTP did not reveal any details about the negotiations. However, SAG-AFTRA has since claimed the studios are using “bully tactics” as well as presenting an offer that was “less” than they proposed before the strikes began.
“It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer,” said SAG-AFTRA in a lengthy statement on Twitter. “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.”
?To Our Fellow #SagAftraMembers:
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) October 12, 2023
It is with profound disappointment that we report the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after refusing to counter our latest offer. (1/11) pic.twitter.com/nd2PfpDH4F
The issues remain the same as when the strike started on July 14, namely, the use of AI, the lack of pay increases in line with inflation, and issues with revenue-sharing methods. “These companies refuse to protect performers from being replaced by AI,” they continued. “They refuse 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 claims that it has completely revamped its proposals throughout the bargaining process. Meanwhile, the AMPTP refused to even counter its most recent offer. “We have made big, meaningful counters on our end, including completely transforming our revenue share proposal, which would cost the companies less than 57¢ per subscriber each year,” they added. “[The AMPTP] have rejected our proposals and refused to counter.”
As well as walking away from negotiations, SAG-AFTRA claims that the AMPTP has used “bully tactics” to further its own aims, misrepresenting the negotiations in the press. “Instead they use bully tactics,” they added. “Just tonight, they intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal – overstating it by 60%.”
Indeed, the AMPTP proposed that SAG-AFTRA's revenue-sharing proposals would cost studios in excess of $800 million per year and said that this would be “an untenable economic burden”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the issue of revenue sharing has been a “major sticking point” throughout the negotiations. These renewed talks saw studio heads such as Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, Disney’s Bob Iger, NBCUniversal’s Donna Langley, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav heading to SAG-AFTRAs Los Angeles headquarters to discuss the proposals. However, revenue sharing wasn’t the only ongoing issue.
“They have done the same with A.I., claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand “consent” on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project),” said SAG-AFTRA.
These shocking proposals have remained part of the AMPTP’s bargaining since the strike began, with studios seeking to pay background actors a single day’s pay to be scanned digitally. Studios would be then able to use that scan indefinitely with no further payment or consent.
“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 solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators,” said SAG-AFTRA. “But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled… We stand united and ready to negotiate today, tomorrow, and every day.”
Want to read more about the SAG-AFTRA strike? Check out why SAG-AFTRA has voted to authorize a video game strike as well as Netflix’s plans to raise subscription prices once the strike is over.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
