LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� The says no deal has been reached with studios and streaming services and its leadership will vote on whether to strike on Thursday.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said early Thursday that its decision on whether to will be considered by leadership at a meeting later that day. A press conference announcing the decision is scheduled for noon Pacific.
If the actors do it will be the first time since 1960 that actors and writers picket film and television productions.
The actors' guild released a statement announcing that its deadline for negotiations had ended without a contract. The statement came hours after recognizing the best work on television, were announced.
鈥淭he companies have refused to meaningfully engage on some topics and on others completely stonewalled us. Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal,鈥� said the star of 鈥淭he Nanny鈥� who is now the actors guild president.
The group representing the studios, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, said it was disappointed by the failure to reach a deal.
鈥淭his is the Union鈥檚 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鈥� digital likenesses, and more,鈥� 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.鈥�
If the actors strike, they will formally join screenwriters on the picket lines outside studios and filming locations in a bid to get better terms from studios and streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon. The actors鈥� guild had by a nearly 98% margin.
Members of the Writers Guild of America have been , slowing the production of film and television series on both coasts and in production centers like Atlanta.
Issues in negotiations include the and the effects on residual pay brought on by the streaming ecosystem that has emerged in recent years.
In a letter to SAG-AFTRA membership overnight, Drescher told actors to prepare to hit picket lines after the board's vote Thursday.
鈥淎s you know, over the past decade, your compensation has been severely eroded by the rise of the streaming ecosystem,鈥� Drescher wrote. 鈥淔urthermore, artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to creative professions, and all actors and performers deserve contract language that protects them from having their identity and talent exploited without consent and pay.鈥�
Appearing on CNBC, Disney chief Bob Iger warned Thursday morning that an actors strike would have a 鈥渧ery damaging effect on the whole industry.鈥�
鈥淭his is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,鈥� Iger said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a level of expectation that (SAG-AFTRA and the WGA) have that is just not realistic.鈥�
Actors have joined writers on picket lines for weeks in solidarity. An actors' strike would prevent performers from working on sets or promoting their projects.
With a stoppage looming, the premiere in London was moved up an hour so that the cast could walk the red carpet before the SAG board's announcement.
Attending a photo event on Wednesday, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� co-star Matt Damon said that while everyone was hoping a strike could be averted, many actors need a fair contract to survive.
鈥淲e ought to protect the people who are kind of on the margins,鈥� . 鈥淎nd 26,000 bucks a year is what you have to make to get your health insurance. And there are a lot of people whose residual payments are what carry them across that threshold. And if those residual payments dry up, so does their health care. And that鈥檚 absolutely unacceptable. We can鈥檛 have that. So, we got to figure out something that is fair.鈥�
The looming strike has cast a shadow over the Nominations were announced Wednesday, and the strike was
鈥淧eople are standing up and saying, 鈥楾his doesn鈥檛 really work, and people need to be paid fairly,鈥欌�� Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, who was nominated for her first Emmy for playing Tammy Wynette in told the AP. 鈥淚t is very clear that there are certain streamers that have really kind of changed the way we work and the way that we have worked, and the contracts really haven鈥檛 caught up to the innovation that鈥檚 happened.鈥�
The Associated Press
