The WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes: Here’s What We Know

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With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes showing no sign of slowing down, Ciara Whelan reviews the industrial dispute and evaluates the future of the American and global film industry and its labour relations.

We are over one hundred days and counting into the Writers Guild America (WGA) strike for fair wage schemes and representation. Following a union vote that revealed a 97.9% majority in favour of striking and a breakdown in negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the strike began May 2nd in Los Angeles and New York. Within the context of the present era of film and television in which the conglomerate streaming service is supreme, the WGA is demanding payment security including a fairer share of streaming royalties and appropriate job security in the wake of the increasing threat of artificial intelligence. The writer’s strike has served to spotlight the inequitable labour and industrial relations that affect the vast amount of diverse creatives working in the industry, including the approximately one hundred and sixty thousand actors registered to The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

The writer’s strike has served to spotlight the inequitable labour and industrial relations that affect the vast amount of diverse creatives working in the industry, including the approximately one hundred and sixty thousand actors registered to The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

The actor’s union joined the strike on the 14th of July and began their first major work stoppage in over forty years, the effects of which were most notable during the London premiere of Oppenheimer (2023) which saw the actors present leave the red-carpet to begin their strike. Since then, many working actors have taken to the picket line and social media to share testimonies about their experience in the industry. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, SAG-AFTRA chief economist David Viviano reminded the magazine that only 14% of the union earn over $26,470 a year to qualify for healthcare coverage in the U.S. This issue of pay models and job security is at the forefront of SAG-AFTRA’s strike campaign, as well as the threat of AI to the actor’s contractual obligations and personal autonomy. Most recently, the actress best known for her role as the Nun in The Conjuring film series, Bonnie Aarons, is suing Warner Bros. for breach of contract after her likeness was used in merchandising without proper compensation. The fear of the union is that the emergent AI technology will only enable the industry giants to further exploit actors and their image for profit.

Though the strikes are technically restricted to the American industry and political arena, its effects have already provoked an international discourse. A range of multinational film productions have been forced to pause in the midst of the industrial action, including the highly anticipated sequel to Gladiator led by Irish actor, Paul Mescal. Equity, the screen actors union in the United Kingdom and Ireland, are forbidden from striking in solidarity due to national labour laws, described by Equity’s General Secretary in the UK Paul W. Fleming as draconian and possibly “the most restrictive in the Western world.” In solidarity statements released by the British and Irish agencies, the unions expressed their support for their sister union in the U.S. and condemned the illiberal industrial relations that have necessitated this action.

These causes and effects of the strikes are to a greater extent understood through the prism of the recent theatrical release of Disney’s Haunted Mansion (2023) directed by Justin Simien. The film is inspired by the infamous Disneyland ride that shares its name and is a potent example of a film produced by a major streaming conglomerate with vested capitalist interests. The star-studded ensemble cast produces enough laughs to ensure that the film is a relatively enjoyable experience, and the film is at its strongest when using practical effects to simulate the ride experience. While the frequent riding shots deployed throughout the film serve to evoke the experience of the amusement ride, it often seems that this visual experience is more important than the narrative of the film. The over-reliance on CGI and VFX to produce the film’s aesthetic only further displaces the viewer from the narrative. Despite the refusal of Disney to negotiate reasonably with their affected employees, the streaming giant is apparently in a position to produce a film primarily concerned with promoting the Disney company and its products over-earnest and clever storytelling. The film ultimately bombed with earnings of $86 million at the global box office against a budget of $157 million as of August. This poor performance was likely due in part to the lack of celebrity promotion in the lead-up to the premiere and at the red carpet event itself held at Disneyland in California. None of the film’s stars were present at the event due to the strikes and Disney instead paraded a variety of staple Disney villains in full costume and character to fill the space.

In light of recent developments, the future of labour relations in the American film and television industry is still discussed with a question mark. Tensions flared in early August when after three months the AMPTP agreed to resume talks with the WGA, only to release the deal refused by the writer’s guild during these meetings to the press in the midst of a mutually agreed media blackout. The WGA responded quickly with a public statement criticising the AMPTP’s conduct and rejecting its bullying strategy, leading many media outlets and the public to fuel further criticism of the AMPTP’s position in the industrial dispute.

Major developments in the dispute in late August have meant that public opinion of the AMPTP is still in decline. Despite beginning a multi-media campaign in late August in the build-up to an early November release, Warner Bros. has decided to delay the release of Dune: Part Two to March of next year to minimise the negative impact that the strike may have on box office returns. The schedule change was decried by members of the Dune fandom on social media, with many criticising the ignorance and hypocrisy of the studio’s decision to risk the film’s revenue rather than compromise in the AMPTP’s negotiations with the guilds. Though the demands made by the WGA would assume approximately 3% of a major studio’s annual revenue, the industry giants remain ardent in their refusal to bend to the demands of the guild even to the detriment of their own profits and reputation while the strike proceeds. This among other recent online criticism of the major Hollywood studios reveals that the public is largely in favour of the strike, and it is then unsurprising that a report to media from a source close to the events disclosed that the AMPTP have hired a new crisis management PR team, The Levinson Group, to manage its public messaging strategy.

 Though the demands made by the WGA would assume approximately 3% of a major studio’s annual revenue, the industry giants remain ardent in their refusal to bend to the demands of the guild even to the detriment of their own profits and reputation while the strike proceeds.

With negotiations between the AMPTP and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA once again at a standstill, the strike is likely to go on for some time longer. While the lower-income members most affected by the present industry pay and contract models march the picket line for change, the weight of financial instability and precarity will only increase and impact their livelihoods. A statement from SAG-AFTRA in early August did reveal that a number of seven-figure donations were made by well-known members including Dwayne Johnson, Meryl Streep, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Ryan Reynolds to the strike fund in support. In spite of these large and generous benefactions, the strike and its future gains will not come without sacrifice and may cost many up-and-coming young creatives their future in the industry. It will especially affect those vulnerable minority groups that lack the often necessary privileges to ascend to such a career in the arts. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike is a necessary action to ensure the security of industry workers in the U.S. and around the world, and while it will likely achieve a positive if somewhat compromised result, it will also greatly impact the careers and lives of those most affected by improper industrial relations.