Striking actors rally in Chicago as contract dispute with TV and film studios drags on
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The film and TV actors' strike came to Chicago on Friday, as members of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) marched at Daley Plaza.
The actors went on strike last month, after their negotiations with major television and movie studios hit a wall, halting most film and TV production.
The strike was authorized after SAG-AFTRA leaders' negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) hit a snag, mainly over the use of artificial intelligence and the impact of streaming services on residual pay for actors.
The alliance, known as AMPTP, represents major studios and distributors in the negotiations – including Amazon/MGM, Apple, Disney/ABC/Fox, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Bros. and Discovery (HBO), according to SAG-AFTRA.
Sean Astin, known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Rudy, The Goonies, and Stranger Things, spoke at a rally after Friday's march at Daley Plaza.
"We have no choice but to win. We are facing an existential threat to what it means to be a working performer," Astin said.
AMPTP officials have said they are committed to finding a path to mutually beneficial deals with SAG-AFTRA, and with film and TV writers represented by the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike since May 1.