From Picket Lines Back to the Grind
Taylor Parise | Arts and Entertainment Editor
The actors’ strike comes to a close, and industry professionals navigate what is next for the ever-changing industry.
Union actors are trading in picket signs for scripts and lines to celebrate another Hollywood strike coming to a close. After 118 days, setting the record for the longest actors strike in the union’s history, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) reached an agreement Nov. 8 with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), thus allowing performers to officially return to work.
The SAG-AFTRA strike ended over a month after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached their own agreement with the AMPTP. Shortly after the WGA ended their picketing, SAG-AFTRA sat back down with the studio. Their negotiations stalled for over a month due to their inability to see eye to eye on streaming residuals and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). However, on Nov. 8 a tentative agreement was announced. SAG-AFTRA’s president, Fran Drescher, stated the guild “passed a historic $1 billion plus dollar deal with the most progressive AI protections ever written” in a statement on their website.
Actress and teacher Jillian Rose Reed was in the middle of class at Cynthia Bain’s Young Actor Studio (CBYAS) when news came through that the studios made a deal.
“I was so overjoyed. I stopped the class to tell all the kids, and we celebrated. This strike impacted so many people, child actors too. These kids have been missing their creative outlets, so getting to share the news with them was so heartwarming,” said Reed.
While it has been a long six months of halted productions and living off of unemployment for many industry professionals, writers and actors alike are breathing a sigh of relief to finally receive the deal they fought so hard for. Underneath a pile of hardships for strikers lies a newfound sense of community and respect amongst the union members.
“It’s been amazing to speak to so many people and hear their thoughts, share in their struggles, and provide a sense of hope and togetherness for each other,” said Reed.
Guy Ambrouso, a SAG-Eligible actor residing in Los Angeles, stepped out on a picket line to support the union and experienced that same sense of unity.
“It was a whole community saying, ‘I want my residuals.’ That was cool to see,” said Ambrouso. “The opportunities are coming back, but they’re still going to lull.”
However, Hollywood seems eager to get productions back on track, with many television series resuming filming the Monday following Thanksgiving. Before the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA came to the table for the last time, other studios, such as Lionsgate, were already signing interim agreements to return to work and promote their projects.
“If they’re starting to resume projects right away, then cast me,” joked Ambrouso.
Despite the eagerness to return to work, industry professionals are still recovering from the halt of productions and navigating the changes that have come along with the rise of streaming in recent years.
“As a youth acting teacher, these last few months were hard,” said Reed. “Just like the rest of us, these kids just came off of the pandemic where their whole lives stopped, and for most of them, acting was their safe space through that difficult time. Just when things were starting to come back, we hit the pause button again.”
The scale of recovery needed in the industry's labor market remains uncertain. As streamers await the return of their favorite shows and discover cancellations, the strike's impact will soon become clear.
Across the board, actors will begin to see a substantial minimum wage increase, including background actors whose pay will “increase by 11% effective Nov. 12, 2023, and then by an additional 4% effective July 1, 2024, and by another 3.5% effective July 1, 2025,” making SAG-AFTRA sure the deal will make acting a more sustainable career for union members.
“It’s been really awesome to see how many young people got involved in picketing and using their voices as well,” Reed shared. “It’s important the next generation of actors knows what they’re up against!”
SAG-AFTRA members began voting Tuesday, Nov. 14 to ratify the contract deal, and the voting will continue through the first week of December. The union board is encouraging its members to vote in agreement with the contract, while some actors fear the deal does not place enough restrictions on AI.
After an upheaval of criticism arose on social media from members, the actor’s union released the potential three-year contract two weeks after the deal was made. Among the actors campaigning against the new deal is Justine Bateman, who acted as an AI advisor on the negotiating committee.
“Though SAG leadership made much effort to protect members in AI, there are many issues you should look at,” the actress posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bateman points out many loopholes that remain in the contract, specifically surrounding the use of “digital doubles.” This section of the contract states producers may use performers’ Employment-Based Digital Replica with their consent, but states “no consent is required when the photography or sound track remains substantially as scripted, performed and/or recorded.” Actors feel this phrasing is open to the interpretation of studios and streamers, which could leave actors at risk for being taken advantage of in the future.
“This deal has set the groundwork for our future and generations to come, it is major,” said Guild president Fran Drescher said in a virtual information session on Nov. 13. “We didn’t get that, but we got this, this, this and this, and we’ll get that next time. In negotiation, you have to weigh and measure and make your informed decision on behalf of the greater good.”
After months of hard work and the fear of the unknown, Reed and her fellow teachers are eager to see their young performers return to doing what they love.
“We’re very lucky at our studio to have such a supportive and safe space for these young actors,” stated Reed. “We listened to them, cried with them, educated them, and, of course, celebrated with them and are helping them gear up to get back to work!”
