Hollywood Actors Going on Strike?
Just when things were starting to normalize after the WGA strike, the industry may be facing more problems. Instead of joining forces this past weekend, the two Hollywood unions representing performers split, which could mean that an actors’ strike could be coming. The New York Times is reporting that, this past Saturday, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists suspended its bargaining alliance with the larger Screen Actors Guild even though they were meeting to create a joint negotiating strategy.
The actors’ current contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires on June 30. Negotiations to fashion a new contract were to begin in two weeks. AFTRA, which has 70,000 members (120,000 actors belong to SAG), now intends to begin talks with producers as soon as possible. In a brief statement, the studios’ Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said it welcomed the opportunity.
Back in February, some artists, most notably George Clooney, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep made a public plea against any future strikes and only time will tell whether they were effective.
Hopefully, some compromise can be found to avoid what has happened since the negative financial effects of the last strike are now becoming clear. Another strike, at this point, would hurt the industry more than the actors stand to gain, in my opinion.
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