Collapse of Negotiations Between Actors and Producers Keeps Strike in Hollywood Alive

News spread that the actors were on the brink of signing a groundbreaking deal with film and TV producers that would signal the end of the strike. However, despite several days of intense discussions, negotiations collapsed, pushing any potential agreement further out of reach. Just a few weeks ago, the scriptwriters' strike in Hollywood came to an end after a grueling 148 days.

The screenwriters managed to secure a landmark deal that aimed to ensure fair compensation and protections against the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). With the success of the screenwriters' negotiations, actors were feeling hopeful that they would be able to strike a similar deal with the producers.After a prolonged period without talks, negotiations finally resumed recently between the actors' union SAG-AFTRA and the producers' association AMPTP.

At first, progress seemed to be made in the discussions, but the news broke today that negotiations had hit a major roadblock. Following 91 days of strikes, SAG-AFTRA announced that they were unable to come to an agreement with the AMPTP. The two sides are reportedly at an impasse, leading to a halt in negotiations for the time being.

In a statement addressed to its members, the union accused the producers of engaging in "bullying behavior" during negotiations. The statement highlighted that the offered deal was even worse than what was proposed prior to the commencement of the strike. The union expressed disappointment in the actions of the producers, emphasizing that they were unwilling to protect actors from the threats of AI, ensure wages kept up with inflation, and allocate a fair share of revenues generated from their work.

Negotiations unraveled primarily due to disagreements over guidelines concerning the use of AI and revenue sharing from streaming services, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. The actors had proposed receiving 2% of streaming revenues, a proposition that the producers were unwilling to accept. The future of the strike appears uncertain, with Hollywood productions remaining at a standstill and actors prohibited from promoting their projects.

Recent developments have shown that the industry CEOs have walked away from the bargaining table after rejecting the latest offer put forth by SAG-AFTRA. AMPTP has been cited for refusals to protect performers from potential AI replacement, reluctance to raise SAG-AFTRA members' wages in alignment with inflation rates, and opposition to sharing a portion of the substantial revenues earned with the artists responsible for creating the content that drives their profits.