Hollywood actors' union announces strike

A key Hollywood actors' union announced it would go on strike on Thursday.

The deadline for Hollywood actors to reach a deal with major film and television studios had passed earlier in the day.

The union leadership voted for the work stoppage, hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) said at a news conference.

"A strike is an instrument of last resort," he said.

He added that they voted unanimously for a strike to begin at midnight Thursday 0700 GMT.

Soon after the strike was announced, picketing screenwriters went on to chanting "Pay your Actors!," outside Netflix's Hollywood offices.

US entertainment industry to face major paralysis

This is the first industry-wide shutdown in 63 years, with all film and television production said to grind to a halt.

On Wednesday, talks took place with mediators in a last-ditch effort to avoid a second industry strike.

Hollywood's largest union had already said it would strike if negotiations did not result in a deal by midnight in Los Angeles (0700 Thursday GMT/UTC).

SAG-AFTRA had said its national board would meet Thursday to vote on a strike.

"After more than four weeks of bargaining, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) ... remains unwilling to offer a fair deal on the key issues that are essential to SAG-AFTRA members," the Screen Actors Guild said in a statement.

A-list stars, including Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep, have voiced their support for the industrial action.

The strike will mean that stars will not be able to promote new releases or attend industry events such as Comic-Con, which is set to be held next week.

The union represents roughly 160,000 actors and television and radio presenters as well as other media professionals.

What are SAG-AFTRA's demands?

The union is demanding higher compensation from streaming services as well as higher pay to counteract inflation.

In addition to salaries when working, actors earn "residuals" every time a production they star in is aired on a network or cable.

However, streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ do not disclose viewing figures and pay actors the same flat rate regardless of viewership.

SAG-AFTRA is also demanding the implementation of safeguards around the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Actors want assurances that their digital images will not be used without their permission.

What has happened in negotiations thus far?

On Tuesday, union negotiators agreed to a studio request to bring in a federal mediator.

SAG-AFTRA said that studio representatives had "abused our trust" by leaking information to the media, adding that there would be no change in the Wednesday night deadline that would trigger a strike.

"We are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement," the union said in a statement late Tuesday. "Time is running out."

Meanwhile, AMPTP said it was disappointed by the failure to reach a deal. "This is the Union's choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors' digital likenesses, and more," the AMPTP said in a statement.

It added that instead of continuing to negotiate, "SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods."

'Double strike' could bring almost all productions to a halt

The strike threatened by SAG-AFTRA follows similar action by the industry's main writers' union.

Early in May, the roughly 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike.

This disrupted most production for the autumn TV season and the filming of some big-budget movies.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said it had offered "generous" pay raises but could not agree to all of the demands.

SAG-AFTRA's walkout will lead to a "double strike" not seen in Hollywood since 1960 and halt most US film and television productions.