“It’s all corporate greed”
July 2023 marks an historic time for the entertainment industry. For the first time in decades the actor union in the United States (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild Of America (WGA) have joined forces to strike after the expiration of their contracts with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the AMPTP's refusal to engage in negotiations for fair pay, safe working conditions, protection against AI and other basic rights for performers, writers and creatives.
Whether you are a member of SAG-AFTRA or not, this strike affects and represents us all. Knowledge is power and we are all in this together, so tune in to this episode to arm yourself with insight and fuel your solidarity.
Why are the strikes happening? What caused them? How does SAG-AFTRA work as a union? How are they different to Equity and other sister unions? How can you support the strike and how does it affect you? What are some experiences of actors that are happening right now in terms of why we need this strike?
Find out all of this and more from this episode's two brilliant guests; Kylie Sparks (they/them) an actor, writer, singer, comedian and strike leader on the ground at the picket line and Dominic Burgess (he/him) a British actor who has been living and working in LA since 2007. They give detailed, open, honest accounts of the importance of these strikes and show why this should be a global movement. Follow them online @kyliesparks and @dominicburgess
Some links mentioned in the episode...
https://www.sagaftrastrike.org Information on the strike
tinyurl.com/2023support Free resources and assistance for strikers and how to support them
https://www.equity.org.uk/solidarity-statement-advice-regarding-sag-aftra-industrial-action-2023 Comment from UK Union Equity on the strikes
https://www.ubcpactra.ca/strike-updates/ Information from Canada's Union UBCP-ACTRA on the strike
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