Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) President Fran Drescher lashed out at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) during a pres conference announcing the actors’ union would be going on strike.
The actors’ union went on strike Thursday, joining the Writers’ Guild of America in grinding Hollywood to a halt over issues like Artificial Intelligence and compensation in the streaming era.
Drescher and SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree announced the action at a press conference, during which Drescher got particularly heated during her opening remarks:
You cannot keep being dwindled and marginalized and disrespected and dishonored! The entire business model has been changed by streaming, digital A.I. This is a moment of history. That is a moment of truth. If we don’t stand tall right now, we are all going to be in trouble. We are all going to be in jeopardy of being replaced by machines and big business. Who cares more about Wall Street than you and your family.
Most of Americans don’t have more than $500 in a in an emergency. This is a very big deal and it weighed heavily on us.
But at some point, you have to say, no, we’re not going to take this anymore! You people are crazy! What are you doing? Why are you doing this?!?
Privately, they all say we’re the center of the wheel. Everybody else tinkers around our artistry. But actions speak louder than words. And there was nothing there. It wasn’t something.
So we came together in strength and solidarity and unity with the largest strike authorization vote in our union’s history. And we made the hard decision that we tell you as we stand before you today. This is major! It’s really serious and it’s going to impact every single person that is in labor.
We are fortunate enough to be in a country right now that happens to be labor-friendly, and yet we were facing opposition that was so Labor unfriendly, so tone deaf to what we are saying.
You cannot change the business model as much as it has changed and not expect the contract to change too. 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.
What are we doing, moving around furniture on the Titanic?!? It’s crazy! So the jig is up, AMPTP! We stand tall! You have to wake up and smell the coffee! We are labor and we stand tall and we demand respect and to be honored for our contribution! You share the wealth because you cannot exist without us!
(APPLAUSE)
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