Unveiling Hollywood's Powerhouse: Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and Top Celebrities Rally to Strike - Open Letter to SAG-AFTRA

Oscar winners Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, and more than 400 other actors have sent an open letter to SAG-AFTRA leaders, warning of a potential strike if stricter contract deals are not enforced. The letter, which was circulated internally on Tuesday, June 27, emphasizes the importance of not compromising and highlights the significant historical implications of their actions. The actors urge the leaders to advocate for the necessary changes and protections, emphasizing that this is a crucial moment for the union. Should the leaders fall short of meeting their expectations, the actors encourage them to join the WGA on picket lines, using the power bestowed upon them by the membership. They firmly believe that this is a pivotal moment for the union and its future and implore the leaders to seize the opportunity.

The actors have expressed their willingness to go on strike if necessary. They are concerned that SAG-AFTRA members might be willing to make sacrifices that the leadership is not. They have written a letter requesting negotiators to aim for a transformative deal and not settle for anything less. The actors have raised various concerns including residuals, healthcare, pensions, self-tapes, and the need for studios to consider the growth of streaming. According to the letter, the actors feel that their wages, craft, creative freedom, and the power of their union have all been undermined in the past decade. They believe that there needs to be a reversal of these negative trends and a significant adjustment in terms of minimum pay, new media residuals, exclusivity carveouts, and other related terms, considering inflation and the continued growth of streaming.

Content: According to Rolling Stone, the signatories of Tuesday's letter, which includes Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Constance Wu, and many others, have voted to authorize a strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers if a new contract is not reached before their current contract ends on June 30.

The letter arrives shortly after the union's president, Fran Drescher, appeared in a video on Saturday, June 24, with Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the contract's chief negotiator. During the video, they expressed that the discussions were highly productive and solely focused on the crucial issues raised by the members. This suggested that a resolution was near, despite the fact that both parties still had differing views on certain matters.

SAG-AFTRA's demands come in response to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) going on strike last month. The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reach an agreement for a new contract. In their letter announcing the strike, the WGA emphasized the need for fair pay that reflects the value of their contributions to the success of companies, as well as the importance of safeguards to ensure the sustainability of the writing profession.

"The companies' actions have fostered a gig economy within a unionized workforce, and their inflexible position in this negotiation demonstrates a disregard for the value of writing as a profession. They have refused to guarantee a minimum level of weekly employment in episodic television, implemented a 'day rate' for comedy variety, resisted providing compensation for screenwriters' free work and adopting AI for all writers. By doing so, they have essentially transformed writing into a completely freelance profession. Our membership cannot consider accepting such a deal."

In response, the AMPTP argued that they had made "generous" compensation offers. "Negotiations between the AMPTP and the WGA concluded without an agreement today," the AMPTP stated, according to Variety. "Last night, the AMPTP presented a comprehensive package proposal to the Guild, which included substantial increases in writers' compensation and enhancements in streaming residuals. Additionally, the AMPTP expressed willingness to further improve the offer. However, due to the significant unresolved proposals put forth by the Guild, particularly regarding 'mandatory staffing' and 'duration of employment' requirements, the AMPTP chose not to make any further concessions."

The strike has caused late-night shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! to go on hiatus, resulting in the airing of repeats. Scripted TV shows, on the other hand, are filmed in advance, so fans have not yet experienced the full effects of the strike. Despite this, several writer's rooms, including those for Yellowjackets and Abbott Elementary, have come to a stop, along with the interruption of certain TV shows like the Netflix hit Stranger Things, which halted production.