The much-awaited talks of Hollywood actors with studios and streaming companies have failed. As the talks are inconclusive, more than 160,000 Hollywood film and television actors will go on strike from Friday. According to CNN, artists are going on strike for the first time since 1980.
The artists’ umbrella organization had given a deadline of Wednesday midnight for the agreement. But after the talks were inconclusive, it was confirmed that the artists would go on strike. Fran Decher, president of SAG and AFTRA, the artists’ umbrella organization, issued a statement saying that the studio manager’s behavior towards the artist during the negotiations was reprehensible and insulting.
The company has refused to get involved in some matters in a meaningful way. They could not agree on some other issues as well,” he said. “Until they negotiate in good faith, we cannot reach an agreement.” The union said its negotiating committee unanimously recommended the strike.
A press conference has been organized at the office in Los Angeles to formally announce the strike. 98 percent of the union members voted in favor of going on strike. The body representing studios and streaming services said it was “deeply disappointed” at the decision to strike. He said that he has offered the artist a salary increase.
“Instead of continuing the negotiations, these actors unions have gone down a path that will make the financial situation of thousands even more difficult,” the Motion Picture and Television Producers Association said in a statement. The Hollywood actor will now join forces with more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike against the same studios since early May.
The artists are going to start a protest with the demands of salary increase and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI).