US film and TV production team approved a massive strike for the first time in 128 years.
The U.S. entertainment industry union, which represents about 60,000 film and TV workers, approved the strike. It is the first time in 128 years that the production team’s union has approved the strike. If the actual strike begins, the production of Hollywood movies, dramas, and TV shows will all be suspended.
According to the Associated Press on the 4th (local time), 99% of the union members who participated in the vote said they agreed to strike. Matthew Rob, chairman of the union, stressed the purpose of the strike, saying, “This vote is about the health, safety, and quality of life of workers in the film and TV production industries.”
According to the union, the vote was almost unanimous with nearly 90 percent participation. It is the first time in 128 years that union members have approved a nationwide strike, the union said.
The strike vote began with workers working on streaming platforms such as Netflix, Apple, and Amazon demanding guarantees of salary, rest, and mealtime.
Since the expiration of the contract for the past three years in July, the union has been negotiating with the American Producers Association (AMPTP), a representative organization of the production company, over working conditions such as wage hikes and guaranteeing break and meal time. However, negotiations that lasted for four months failed to reach an agreement and were suspended last week.
The Entertainment Industry Union said, “It is incomprehensible that the Producer Association, which owns a mega corporation worth trillions of dollars, does not provide workers with basic environments such as living wages, rest, and proper sleep.”
The producers’ association said, “The economic damage caused by the COVID-19 epidemic is recovering. We are committed to preventing the industry from shutting down at a pivotal time, he said. But the union said, “The ball is in the producers’ association. They should return to the negotiating table and make a reasonable proposal,” the two sides are in a tight race.
If the negotiators go on strike without reaching an agreement, production of movies, dramas, and TV programs across the U.S. is expected to stop. Hollywood celebrities, including actor and producer Octavia Spencer, expressed support for the union’s demand.
The most recent massive strike in Hollywood was the 2007 WGA strike. As a result, filming of many TV programs has been stopped. At that time, the American Actors Association (SAG) declared its absence from the Golden Glove Awards in support of the writers’ strike, and an unprecedented incident occurred when the awards ceremony was eventually canceled. Due to the strike that lasted about 100 days, many American dramas reduced the number of episodes, leaving fans regretful.