M embers of U.S. performers’ union SAG-AFTRA have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike, offering a critical piece of leverage ahead of contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

Nearly 65,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists voted 97.91% in favour of a strike authorization, accounting for 47.96% of eligible voters, according to a news release issued Monday (June 5).

The union will begin negotiations over the current SAG-AFTRA TV and Theatrical contracts on Wednesday (June 7). The agreements are set to expire on June 30.

“Together we lock elbows and in unity we build a new contract that honours our contributions in this remarkable industry, reflects the new digital and streaming business model and brings all our concerns for protections and benefits into the now,” said SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher in a statement.

The union has outlined four core issues for the upcoming negotiations on its website: economic fairness through increased compensation and health care and pension plans; improved residuals for streaming; regulation around the use of artificial intelligence for an actor’s likeness, voice and performances; and limitations on the use of self-tapes.

Issues around compensation, residuals and AI have also been core in the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which has entered its second month after the guild was unable to reach an agreement with the AMPTP.

“We are approaching these negotiations with the goal of achieving a new agreement that is beneficial to SAG-AFTRA members and the industry overall,” said the AMPTP in a statement following the strike authorization vote results.

“As we enter what may be one of the most consequential negotiations in the union’s history, inflation, dwindling residuals due to streaming, and generative AI all threaten actors’ ability to earn a livelihood if our contracts are not adapted to reflect the new realities,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator. “This strike authorization means we enter our negotiations from a position of strength, so that we can deliver the deal our members want and deserve.”

While the WGA strike has reportedly slowed service work in Canada, a SAG-AFTRA strike would effectively shut down service productions involving its members. The union website says in the event of a strike, members would “withhold their labour and not perform any services for struck companies.”

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) reached a tentative agreement with AMPTP over its own contract negotiations on June 3, which the guild said will be presented to its national board on Wednesday (June 7).

The agreement included increased residuals on scripted drama programs for streaming, and the establishment of terms for variety and reality programs on SVODs as well as scripted drama for AVODs, such as Tubi, Roku and Freevee. It also included increased compensation and an agreement that generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by DGA members.

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