Bryan Cranston leads star-studded Times Square rally amidst SAG-AFTRA strike: We will not have you...

SAG-AFTRA organised a massive and star-studded rally in Times Square to show solidarity on the twelfth day of the actors' strike. The rally, which featured more A-listers than any previous strike action, included prominent figures such as Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Ellen Burstyn, Wendell Pierce, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Zegler, Michael Shannon, Jane Curtin, Christian Slater, and Chloe Grace Moretz. The event took up an entire city block, with actors and union representatives delivering passionate speeches on a stage at the heart of Times Square. Tourists and passing trucks showed their support with honks and gawks. Some of the actors aimed their messages at corporate giants like Walt Disney-owned ESPN and ABC studios.

Also Read:Tom Cruise had negotiated with studios over AI before SAG-AFTRA strike

SAG-AFTRA strike

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SAG-AFTRA initiated a strike on July 14 after the film and television contract expired without reaching a new three-year pact with the AMPTP. The studios' and streamers' offer was considered insulting by SAG-AFTRA, while the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) claimed that the union rejected a favourable package offer.

Since the strike began, SAG-AFTRA members have been picketing outside studio lots and corporate sites in Los Angeles and New York, leading to the shutdown or delay of major productions. The two parties have not yet announced a date for returning to the bargaining table.

Bryan Cranston urged Disney CEO Bob Iger to understand the actors' perspective and not take away their jobs and livelihoods, expressing concerns about the encroachment of robots in the industry. The rally, located near Broadway theatres, had a more show-business flair than typical labour rallies, with actors quoting renowned figures like Frederick Douglass and Samuel Beckett, and even singing during their speeches.

“We’ve got a message to Mr Iger. I know, sir, that you look through things from a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are but we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living," he said.

The strike saw actors joining screenwriters who had already walked out in May, marking the first time both unions simultaneously went on strike since 1960. The actors' main concerns include the impact of the streaming revolution on their pay, the loss of residuals, and the changing working conditions. They also sought protection against the use of artificial intelligence and improvements in the union's healthcare and pension programmes.

The AMPTP, negotiating on behalf of studios, claimed it offered a generous deal that included the largest increase in minimum pay in 35 years, but talks broke off, and no further negotiations were scheduled. Despite being on strike, SAG-AFTRA expressed their willingness to return to the bargaining table.

For many actors, the strike had personal significance. Christian Slater highlighted how the union's healthcare had supported his late father, actor Michael Hawkins. Liza Colón-Zayas, from the series The Bear, emphasised the need for transparency in streaming payments, considering the dwindling residuals despite decades of hard work in the industry.

Also Read:Dwayne Johnson makes generous donation to SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund amid strike

Major issues on which SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP were at odds

One major point of contention was the general minimum rate increases sought by SAG-AFTRA. The union aimed for an 11 per cent wage boost in the first year of the new contract, followed by 4 per cent in the second and third years. However, the studios and streamers were only willing to offer 5, 4, and 3.5 per cent increases for the three-year agreement.

Another significant disagreement related to regulating generative artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA sought comprehensive provisions to protect human-created work and ensure fair compensation for performers when digital replicas or alterations were made using AI. The AMPTP claimed their offer was groundbreaking and protected performers' digital likenesses, requiring their consent for such use.

Other contentious issues included increasing "span" figures, boosting pension and health plan contribution "caps," relocation allowances, meal break penalties, and coverage for performance-capture work under a SAG-AFTRA contract.

(With AP inputs)

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