Actors Strike Might Be Delayed With SAG Contract Extension in the Works

With the end of June just hours away and with it, the expiration of SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), both sides are reportedly considering an extension of negotiations. According to Deadline, an extension to the current contract negotiations could run until July 7th. The current contract expires on June 30th.

The situation with negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP are high stakes currently. Recently, a letter signed by more than 1000 high profile actors including Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Amy Schumer, and union president Fran Drescher, made it clear that the actors are prepared to strike. In part the letter reads, “We want you to know that we would rather go on strike than compromise on these fundamental points, and we believe that, if we settle for a less than transformative deal, the future of our union and our craft will be undermined, and SAG-AFTRA will enter the next negotiation with drastically reduced leverage.” The letter initially had 300 signatures when it was made public but quickly grew to more than 1000.

Per Deadline‘s report, the strike would also allow everyone involved to get beyond the July 4th holiday which is coming up on Tuesday and there is precedent for such an extension. Negotiations in 2014 and 2017 both went into early July and past the end of contract deadline. However, while an extension is possible, a source told Deadline that it won’t necessarily mean avoidance of a strike: “a strike cannot be taken off the table until the final talks break down” a source is noted as saying.

The SAG-AFTRA national board unanimously agreed to send an authorization vote to members last month with the recommendation that members vote to authorize a strike should one be necessary.  According to SAG-AFTRA, 97.91 percent of SAG-AFTRA members voted in favor of a strike authorization. If SAG-AFTRA does end up striking, they will be the latest entertainment labor organization to do so. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently in its sixth week of striking against AMPTP. That strike is already having major impact on film and television production with many projects slowed or halted. An actors’ strike would bring even further halts, so much so that it is reported that several productions — including Beetlejuice 2, Bad Boys 4, Minecraft, and others — are trying to complete their efforts ahead of a potential strike.