SAG-AFTRA recommends strike as studios refuse deal

Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and studios have ended without reaching a deal or an extension, indicating an impending strike. 

The official expiration of the union's contract at midnight prompted the negotiating committee to unanimously recommend a strike. 

The national board of SAG-AFTRA is scheduled to convene on Thursday to formalize the strike call, which would result in the suspension of scripted film and TV production by studios represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. 

Fran Drescher, the president of SAG-AFTRA, expressed disappointment with the studios' responses, deeming them "insulting and disrespectful."

Key issues include a streaming residual formula and regulations regarding artificial intelligence usage. The studios' reluctance to disclose viewership data led SAG-AFTRA to propose employing third-party metrics from Parrot Analytics. The union underlined streaming and AI as critical concerns, citing declining compensation and the necessity of safeguarding actors' identities and talent from exploitation. 

The union membership has urged decisive action, with actors joining writers on picket lines recently.

SAG-AFTRA is a labor union that represents over 160,000 actors, performers, broadcasters, and other media professionals in the entertainment industry. SAG-AFTRA negotiates and enforces contracts, advocates for the rights and working conditions of its members, and provides various services and resources to support their careers. The union covers a wide range of media, including film, television, radio, commercials, voiceovers, and new media platforms.