Pressing Pause: What you need to know about the SAG-AFTRA Strike.

On May 6th of 2023, The Writer’s Guild Of America and Federation of Television and Radio Artists officially went on strike. During a labor strike, a mass group of employees refuse to work. Without writers and actors, production on many television shows and films has come to an abrupt pause. To advance in a fair and just manner, SAG-AFTRA Union Members are calling for higher pay and fair residuals.

It’s hard to deny the irony of an A-list actor like Olivia Wilde (estimated to have a net worth of ten million dollars), carrying a picket sign protesting while wearing $400 Saint Laurent sunglasses. But, it is significant to note that the people behind the camera are not as well compensated. In fact, 80% of SAG-AFTRA union members make less than $26,000 per year, according to the LA nonprofit: Solidarity Project. This is particularly disheartening, as a union member must make $25,950 to qualify for the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan. Additionally, the median screenwriter's pay has not changed since 2018, which is confusing when you factor in how much the price of living has increased since then.

Many of the Union’s demands are representative of our changing technological world. Artificial Intelligence seems to be making headlines everywhere as we attempt to comprehend this intriguing, yet frightening omnipresent. AI is particularly harmful to workers in creative fields, taking jobs and credit from real people. Strikers are calling for regulations to prevent this from becoming a greater problem. The rise of streaming services can be traced back to Youtube’s release in 2005. Since then, companies such as Netflix, Disney+, Max, and Hulu have revolutionized the way we view entertainment, helped along the way by the pandemic that forced us to be stagnant, COVID-19. Streaming services continue to boost the entertainment industry's profits exponentially but have led to significantly lower residuals for the creatives. Here’s why: During the peak of cable television, reruns of shows allowed for actors and writers to receive regular paychecks. Today, streaming services have changed the way residuals are paid. No longer are writers and actors being paid based on viewership. Now, they receive checks based on the number of subscribers the platform carrying their project has. Meaning the success of a show does not impact its residuals. In summary: more profit for studios, less for all of the people making the project possible.

The impact and importance of the entertainment industry extend far beyond its economics. Entertainment has existed since humans first walked the earth, providing us with an escape from strenuous daily activities. Without the actors, writers, dancers, radio artists, singers, stunt artists, and more represented by SAG-AFTRA, this industry we all hold for granted cannot exist. Fair pay is a non-negotiable human right; no excuses. In case you haven't infrerred, this blog is in support of the #SAGAFTRAStrike. For more information and to learn how to help, visit https://www.sagaftrastrike.org/.