The Facts
On Thursday, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) announced that it will join picket lines with the Writers Guild of America in their first double strike since 1960.
The announcement comes after negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and major Hollywood studios broke down on Wednesday. Last month, 98% of the Actors Guild members voted in favor of strike action if a deal couldn't be reached.
The Spin
Narrative A
This once-in-a-generation double strike, which shows that little progress is being made on Hollywood's labor disputes, will directly affect thousands in California and Los Angeles. Writers' and actors' pay has been severely eroded with the streaming revolution, while artificial intelligence threatens to replace creative professionals. Hollywood studios must pay their writers and actors a fair share of their shows' and movies' success.
Narrative B
Hollywood studios and streaming services have been losing money in their bid to gain subscribers and a foothold in the industry's digital future. The writers' and actors' guild must understand the difficulty of balancing spending and profitability with attracting and retaining subscribers in an uncertain economy. The unions should end their strikes — entertainment companies are not as powerful or lucrative as they used to be, yet still offer contracts that are as competitive as possible.
