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The SAG-AFTRA actors union set a June 5
deadline for its 160,000 members to cast ballots in a strike
authorization vote. If approved, the measure would allow union
leaders to call a work stoppage if they cannot reach a new
contract agreement with major Hollywood studios.
The writers' strike has disrupted production of late-night shows
and some TV series, but some filming is continuing. A strike by
actors would lead to a broader shutdown across the industry.
Roughly 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America went on
strike on May 2 after the union failed to reach a deal with Walt
Disney Co, Netflix Inc and other media companies for higher pay
and safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence in the
streaming TV era.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP)
said it offered "generous" increases in compensation.
For Hollywood actors, pay and AI also are on the list of
concerns.
"Earning a living as a professional performer has become
increasingly difficult, with both inflation and the streaming
ecosystem undercutting compensation," SAG-AFTRA said in a
statement on its website.
Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the studios are scheduled to
start on June 7. The actors' current labor contract expires June
30.
"The prospect of a strike is not a first option, but a last
resort," SAG-AFTRA President and "The Nanny" actor Fran Drescher
said. "As my dad always says, 'Better to have and not need than
to need and not have!'"
A representative for the AMPTP did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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