The union representing more than 160,000 film, radio and television actors and presenters in Hollywood has decided to go on strike if it does not reach a new agreement with the studios by June 30.
The decision was ratified on Monday night by 98% of some 65,000 votes and negotiations are expected to begin on Wednesday between the SAG-AFTRA union and the alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios from Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBC Universal, Paramount and Sony.
The actors’ claims are similar to those of the screenwriters, who entered the sixth week of the strike, after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) union failed to reach a remuneration agreement with film and television producers.
The actors, many of whom have shown support for the screenwriters in their struggle with the big studios, are also calling for an improvement in working conditions and wages, which they consider to be out of line with inflation and the growing role of streaming platforms.
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