When talks between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down last week, leading to Hollywood’s first double strike since 1960, the guild says there was still a wide gulf between what it wanted and what studios were willing to give.
In a memo sent to members on Monday night, the authenticity of which has been confirmed by TheWrap, SAG-AFTRA leaders said that things got to the point of a strike because AMPTP negotiators, “from day one,” would not “meaningfully engage on the most critical issues.”
In a statement to media on Monday, released shortly after the SAG-AFTRA memo became public, APMTP called the guild “disingenuous at best” for its description of those differences, and said it “continues to mischaracterize the negotiations.”
AMPTP also implied in its statement that the offers described in the SAG-AFTRA memo were outdated, claiming it made “proposals offered verbally” to the guild on the final day of negotiations before the strike.
“Here’s the simple truth: We’re up against a system where those in charge of multibillion-dollar media conglomerates are rewarded for exploiting workers,” SAG-AFTRA leadership said in the memo. “The companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) … are committed to prioritizing shareholders and Wall Street.”
“We moved on some things,” the memo continued, “but from day one they wouldn’t meaningfully engage on the most critical issues.”
According to SAG-AFTRA, it requested an 11% general wage increase in the first year, and 4% in the second and third years to deal with inflation, while AMPTP countered with 5% in the first year, 4% in the second and 3.2% in the third.
More to come…
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