Photo: Google Image
Levon Campbell III
Staff Writer
After 118 days, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike has ended with the actors and their union finally reaching an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
SAG-AFTRA members have been fighting long and hard for fair pay and benefits from their employers, and after months of protesting and negotiating, their efforts have finally paid off. With this new settlement, SAG-AFTRA members can now return to their normal working duties and continue to create high-quality content for the entertainment industry.
Kasey Gibbs, a senior journalism and media studies major from Los Angeles, Calif., was glad the actors and producers can go back and do what they love.
“I’m glad that they came to a fair conclusion because film is a huge part of human culture. For the actors to be back on screen and producers back to the drawing board is a blessing and we will forever be grateful for their impact towards the art,” Gibbs stated.
SAG-AFTRA is a labor union that represents actors, radio personalities, broadcast journalists, and other media professionals. The union advocates on behalf of its members to ensure they receive fair wages and benefits. It also provides members with access to various resources, such as educational programs, health insurance, retirement benefits, and more.
Mark Henderson, JSU Director of the MADDRAMA Performance Group and Jackson State University theater professor, was glad the strike was finally over and that the actors got the compensation that they needed.
“I think it’s long overdue and I am glad that they stuck to it because sometimes we’ll give up and take pennies like feeding chickens out in the yard. This deal will be good for the actors in the long run by giving them stability over the years and they will always have a comeback to the drawing table,” Henderson stated.
According to www.Today.com, after many failed attempts at an agreement with their employers, SAG-AFTRA) announced an official strike on July 14, 2023.
The members wanted better pay and working conditions, as well as contracts that feature provisions on artificial intelligence.
One of SAG-AFTRA’s main concerns revolves around declining compensation, particularly in terms of payments called residuals. Actors often receive these residuals when their work is reused beyond its initial performance, like when a movie or show is re-aired or re-released on DVD or cable.
Actors also receive residuals when their projects are streamed online, but SAG-AFTRA said the compensation they receive for streaming projects is much lower than usual, and the rate of their payment is calculated differently.
They also cited concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a major driver in the ongoing strike, specifically highlighting worries over how AI is potentially being used to exploit performers without proper compensation.
According to the Today article, Fran Drescher, SAG-AFTRA president, believes that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to the creative professions.
After the SAG-AFTRA strike started, the film and television industry were disrupted, with productions of numerous movies and TV shows halted in the United States and abroad.
Luckily, SAG-AFTRA has a foundation that has raised over $15 million to support its emergency financial assistance program over the years.
According to www.wmagazine.com, some of the noteworthy philanthropic donors associated with the organization included actors such as Dwayne Johnson and George Clooney, as well as other generous supporters of the entertainment industry.
The SAG-AFTRA strike came to an end on Nov. 9, 42 days after the writer’s strike ended, after the studios finally gave in and accepted the union’s demands.
Henderson believes the studios accepted the writer’s deal much easier than the actor’s deal because they respected the writers more than the actors.
“It’s just the hierarchy protocol, the actors are just the glory and image and the least considered ones in the studio’s eyes. I always tell students if they want to make it in Hollywood, be behind the scenes,” said Henderson. “Be the writer, director, or producer because actors are just the software and they’re on the lower end of the totem pole because you can find actors anywhere, but it’s hard to find good writers and that’s probably why they paid more attention to the writer’s strike than the actor’s strike.”
Henderson also appreciated the actors like Dwayne Johnson and others who came to the aid of the out of work actors.
“I was really moved to see all of those who probably don’t need another penny in their lives to come together and speak for the lesser man because we’re all in the same boat and it showed that it’s not all about what ‘I’ can but what ‘we’ can get. I think that it was an unselfish gesture, and it will be one of the major things that we’ll remember thinking about this strike,” Henderson stated.
With this major step forward for the industry, Jackson State students anticipate a bright future ahead for both the film and television industry, as well as for all the talented professionals who work within it.
Dasia Prater, a sophomore biology major and MADDRAMA member from Little Rock, Ark., expressed how happy she was that the actor’s strike ended and hoped their conditions would be better for them with the new contracts.
“It’s good for them, especially since I know a lot of actors don’t get residuals, so yeah hopefully the conditions will be better for them since they put in the hard work,” Prater stated.
