The SAG-AFTRA actors union has clarified its guidelines about Halloween costumes, amid the ongoing actors’ strike. On Friday, a spokesperson for the guild responded to backlash and memes about the initial statement, which suggested that striking union members refrain from wearing or posting pictures of costumes that promote struck media. The guidelines received a wide array of responses, including from Ryan Reynolds, who joked that his young daughter would now be a “scab” for wearing a costume that doesn’t follow these rules. As SAG-AFTRA confirmed, the suggestions do not apply to the children of union members, and are just a small part of the union’s overall initiative amid the strike.
“SAG-AFTRA issued Halloween guidance in response to questions from content creators and members about how to support the strike during this festive season,” the statement from the Guild spokesperson reads. “This was meant to help them avoid promoting struck work, and it is the latest in a series of guidelines we have issued. It does not apply to anyone’s kids. We are on strike for important reasons, and have been for nearly 100 days. Our number one priority remains getting the studios back to the negotiating table so we can get a fair deal for our members, and finally put our industry back to work.”
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What Are the SAG-AFTRA Halloween Costume Guidelines?
On Wednesday, a post on SAG-AFTRA’s website recommended that union members “celebrate Halloween this year while also staying in solidarity” with the strike, advising against sharing pictures of costumes on social media that pay tribute to struck movies and television shows.
Instead, SAG-AFTRA recommends that members “choose costumes inspired by generalized characters and figures (ghost, zombie, spider, etc)”, and “dress up as characters from non-struck content, like an animated TV show.”
When Did the SAG-AFTRA Strike Start?
The SAG-AFTRA strike officially began on July 14, 2023. In a statement tied to the strike announcement in July, SAG-AFTRA representatives revealed that the strike is commencing after four weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP, and an existing negotiation extension from June 30th to July 12th. Back in May, SAG-AFTRA’s national board unanimously agreed to send an authorization vote to members, with and 97.91 percent of members ultimately voting in favor to authorize.
“Yesterday our union celebrated the 90th anniversary of the incorporation of Screen Actors Guild,” Crabtree-Ireland said during a press conference. “During our nearly century long existence we’ve fought for and achieved countless gains for working actors. Today, we embark on a new important chapter in our unions history. Earlier this morning, the SAG-AFTRA national board convened following four weeks of negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers in a meeting, because AMPTP remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on key issues essential to protecting the livelihoods of working actors and performers. SAG AFTRA as national board unanimously voted to issue a strike order against the studios and streamers.”
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