With the Writers Guild still on strike and the Directors Guild reaching a tentative agreement, actors union SAG-AFTRA is stepping into the spotlight as it begins negotiating a new labor contract Wednesday with Hollywood’s studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Like the WGA, SAG-AFTRA will have the additional leverage of a strike authorization after nearly 98% of members voted to allow the leadership to order a strike anytime after June 30, the expiration date of the current contract, if a satisfactory agreement can’t be reached.
That gives the union and the studios just over three weeks to iron out a contract that covers over 160,000 performers in film and television, including background actors and stunt performers.