The former ‘Nanny’ actress and union president SAG-AFTRA spoke to PEOPLE after a press conference Thursday announcing the strike
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CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland announce strike
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher told PEOPLE “there’s no way to predict” how long the Hollywood actors’ strike will last.
“It’s only just begun,” Drescher continued in an interview Thursday after she and the union’s national executive director and chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, announced the strike.
Negotiations between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and SAG-AFTRA (which stands for Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) broke down after several weeks of talks.
SAG-AFTRA members were calling for wage and residual increases, higher caps on pension and health contributions, and regulation of the use of artificial intelligence, among other things.
Members went on strike from Friday, essentially halting production on most TV series and movies.
Related: SAG Strike Rules: What Hollywood Actors Can And Can’t Do Until A Resolution Is Reached
Crabtree-Ireland, who spoke to PEOPLE alongside Drescher, added: “This strike will end when [the AMPTP] are ready to come to the table and make a fair deal with our members. »
“Hopefully it’s next week. But if it’s next month, or if it’s two or more months away, I’m confident our members will stay united and strong until the businesses return. to the table and make a fair deal with us,” he said.
Drescher agreed that union members would stay strong. “Until they are ready to come back to the table and talk to us, we will let it be known that they are blocking us once again,” she said.
Earlier, Drescher called out Hollywood executives in an impassioned speech at the press conference.
“We are victims of a very greedy entity. I am shocked at the way the people we have dealt with treat us,” she said.
Hollywood executives “complain about the poverty they lose money left and right while giving hundreds of millions to their CEOs. It’s disgusting. Shame on them. They stand on the wrong side history right now,” she continued.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About The SAG Strike And How It Affects TV & Movies
The actress pleaded the union’s case that the time had come for new terms in their contract.
“The whole business model has been changed by streaming, digital, AI. It’s a moment in history that’s a moment of truth. If we don’t stand up right now, we’re all going to be in trouble,” she said.
She continued, “We are all going to be in danger of being replaced by machines and big business, who care more about Wall Street than you and your family. Most Americans don’t have more than $500 for emergencies. It is very important and it weighed heavily on us. But at some point, you have to say, ‘No, we’re not going to accept that anymore’. You are crazy ! What are you doing? Why do you do that?’ ”
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SAG-AFTRA members join striking WGA members
Hollywood executives privately regard actors as “the center of the wheel,” Drescher claimed.
“But actions speak louder than words, and there was nothing there [in AMPTP’s contract offer]. It was insulting. So we came together in strength, solidarity and unity with the biggest vote to authorize a strike in the history of our union. And we have made the difficult decision that we tell you, as we stand before you today, is major.
In a statement Thursday, the AMPTP said, according to ABC News, “We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to withdraw from negotiations. It is the union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it has rejected our offering of historic salary and residual increases, significantly higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a revolutionary AI proposition that protects likenesses cast numbers, and more.”
“Rather than continue to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a path that will compound the financial hardship of thousands of people who depend on the industry for their livelihoods. There are 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members and more than 11 000 members of the Writers Guild of America.”
But Crabtree-Ireland told PEOPLE it was the AMPTP that was responsible for forcing the union to strike.
“They can end this strike at any time. They know exactly what our members need to get a fair deal. All they have to do is sign on the dotted line,” he said.
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