The labor movement coordinated a national “Day of Action” on Aug. 22 to support the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in their strike against the major television and movie studios. Rallies took place in five major American cities (Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago), with SIU personnel present at three of the events.
Seafarers took to the streets in Philadelphia, New York, and Chicago. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond participated in the Chicago demonstration, while AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler attended the Atlanta rally.
While the SAG-AFTRA and WGA disputes are separate strikes, the two unions’ concerns about the entertainment industry are largely aligned. In addition to the plain greed of the studio executives, the unions object to meager residuals from streaming services and artificial intelligence usurping their likenesses. To make matters worse, the studios have repeatedly stalled negotiations, the unions say.
Labor has vociferously defended both unions throughout the duration of the strikes, with representatives from many unions standing on the picket lines in New York and Los Angeles. The AFL-CIO Executive Board (SIU President David Heindel is a member) received an extensive briefing on the strikes at their last gathering this summer; the Board also posed for a group photo with strike support signs in solidarity with the actors and writers hitting the bricks.
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