Actors Vote To Go On Strike For First Time Since 1980

UPDATE:

SAG-AFTRA, a union representing 160,000 Hollywood actors, officially voted to go on strike Thursday (July 13) for the first time since 1980 after failed negotiations with major studios and streaming services, Deadline.com reports.

Actress and comedian Fran Drescher, who is currently serving as the third president of SAG-AFTRA, confirmed the group's decision during a press conference.

"We're not going to keep doing incremental changes on a contract that no longer honors what is happening right now with this business model that was foisted upon us," Drescher said via CNN.

Drescher had previously addressed the union's expected strike after what she called "insulting and disrespectful" proposals from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios and streamers.

The actors strike comes as the union of screenwriters, the Writers Guild of America, has already been on strike for more than 70 days. Actors and writers last went on strike at the same time in 1960, when former actor turned eventual president Ronald Reagan led the Screen Actors Guild.

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SAG-AFTRA, a union representing 160,000 Hollywood actors, is set to go on strike for the first time since 1980 after failed negotiations with major studios and streaming services, CNN reports.

Actress and comedian Fran Drescher, who is currently serving as the third president of SAG-AFTRA, issued a statement confirming the union's decision after what she called "insulting and disrespectful" proposals from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios and streamers.

“SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP’s responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry," Dresher said. "The companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal. We have no choice but to move forward in unity, and on behalf of our membership, with a strike recommendation to our National Board. The board will discuss the issue this morning and will make its decision.”

SAG-AFTRA said the AMPTP "remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential" to its members "after more than four weeks of bargaining." SAG-AFTRA's negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend a strike of the Producers-SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Contracts, which expired at 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday (July 12), to the National Board.

“The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry’s business model, while at the same time insi

sting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator. "That’s not how you treat a valued, respected partner and essential contributor. Their refusal to meaningfully engage with our key proposals and the fundamental disrespect shown to our members is what has brought us to this point. The studios and streamers have underestimated our members’ resolve, as they are about to fully discover.”

The looming actors strike comes as the union of screenwriters, the Writers Guild of America, has already been on strike for more than 70 days. Actors and writers last went on strike at the same time in 1960, when former actor turned eventual president Ronald Reagan led the Screen Actors Guild.