SAG-AFTRA Accuses Hollywood Studios of ‘Bully Tactics’ as Negotiation Talks Are Suspended
SAG-AFTRA and major studios have hit pause on negotiations amid the ongoing strike.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) issued a statement on Wednesday, October 11, confirming progress has stalled.
“Negotiations between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA have been suspended after SAG-AFTRA presented its most recent proposal on October 11,” the trade association, which represents major companies such as Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Discovery-Warner, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony, said in a press release. “After meaningful conversations, it is clear that the gap between the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA is too great, and conversations are no longer moving us in a productive direction.”
The statement concluded: “We hope that SAG-AFTRA will reconsider and return to productive negotiations soon.”
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In response, SAG-AFTRA claimed the studios walked away and accused them of using “bully tactics.”
“[The studios] intentionally misrepresented to the press the cost of the above proposal — overstating it by 60 percent,” SAG’s statement, released on Thursday, October 12, read. “They have done the same with AI, claiming to protect performer consent, but continuing to demand “consent” on the first day of employment for use of a performer’s digital replica for an entire cinematic universe (or any franchise project).”
SAG-AFTRA made it clear that they still want to negotiate on behalf of their members.
“The companies are using the same failed strategy they tried to inflict on the WGA — putting out misleading information in an attempt to fool our members into abandoning our solidarity and putting pressure on our negotiators," the statement concluded. "But, just like the writers, our members are smarter than that and will not be fooled.”
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According to AMPTP, the proposal for actors to receive a 2 percent cut of streaming platform revenue was what caused the divide. AMPTP also mentioned “numerous remaining open items” still left on the table, but did not clarify which topics they were at odds over. Earlier this month, SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP restarted negotiations after previously failing to reach an agreement on AI regulations, minimum wage rates and more.
The WGA initially kicked things off by initiating a strike in May after failing to reach an agreement in its contract negotiations with the AMPTP. Two months later, SAG-AFTRA joined writers on the picket line after their own labor dispute with the AMPTP reached a standstill. Hollywood productions subsequently shut down unless they adhered to the SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement.
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The WGA and AMPTP subsequently reached an agreement in September on a three-year contract.
“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the negotiating committee for the WGA wrote in an email to its members. The message included a 94-page of the new terms which referenced compensation gains, a new requirement for minimum staff levels in TV writer’s rooms, improvement payment terms for screenwriters and protections for the use of artificial intelligence.
